Lancashire & Turner
1875

The order for the organ was announced in the Moline Review, November 13, 1874: "Messrs. Lancashire & Turner have definitely secured the order for building the grand organ for the Congregational church at Davenport. It will be equal if not superior in size and capacity to that in Moline, and to sing its earliest matin on Christmas." An article on Lancashire & Turner in the same newspaper, December 25, 1874, noted, "The organ for the Congregational church at Davenport, and one for Newton, Iowa, are to be finished by Christmas; the former will cost $3,000 and the latter $1,200."

An article in the Davenport Democrat, April 22, 1875, suggests that installation of the organ was delayed beyond the optimistic projected date: "There was another grand rehearsal at the Congregational Church last evening, in which the qualities of the new organ was [sic] thoroughly tested, and pronounced by judges a splendid instrument. It is one of the largest organs ever built by the manufacturers, Messrs. Lancashire & Turner, of Moline, and an instrument which reflects great credit upon their skill. Our people generally will have a fine opportunity to judge of its merits at the concert to-morrow evening, when, we can promise, that some of the finest music, both vocal and instrumental, will be heard on that occasion seldom equaled in this city—and all by home talent mostly. Do not miss this concert." The Muscatine (IA) Daily Journal, April 26, 1875, gave a brief report on the concert: "Davenporters in general, and Edwards' Congregational Church in particular, are highly delighted with a beautiful and powerful pipe organ opened at a grand concert last Friday evening in that city. The organ was built by Lancashire and Turner, of Moline, already well known hereabout [sic] (two of their instruments being owned here) and is said to be a paragon of beauty and excellence. It is gratifying to note the success of western manufacturers in this line of business."

The organ was destroyed in a fire on the night of December 9–10, 1881, that severely damaged the church, as reported in the Moline Review-Dispatch, December 16, 1881. The immense amount of water poured on the fire saved the building from complete destruction. Total insurance on the building was $17,000, of which $2,000 was for the organ, "but the $2,000 on the organ does not cover the loss by more than $500." The congregation purchased a new organ for the rebuilt church from the Moline Pipe Organ Co., successor of Lancashire & Turner, in 1882 (The Musical Critic and Trade Review, March 20, 1882): "The members of the Congregational church held a fair last week for the purpose of raising money to help pay for the new organ they are buying from the Moline Pipe Organ Co. Their old one was destroyed by fire about two [sic] months ago."

Sources:

"Badly Burned," Moline (IL) Review-Dispatch, Friday, December 16, 1881, [2], Newspapers.com, accessed May 6, 2022, https://www.newspapers.com/image/338457994/.

"The City" (column), Davenport (IA) Democrat, Thursday, April 22, 1875, 1, Newspapers.com, accessed May 7, 2022, https://www.newspapers.com/image/300985115/.

A. C. Knocke, "Davenport, Iowa" (column), The Musical Critic and Trade Review 5, no. 16 (March 20, 1882): 247, accessed May 6, 2022, https://mtr.arcade-museum.com/MTR-1882-5-16/09/.

"Local Brevities" (column), Moline (IL) Review, Friday, November 13, 1874, [3], Newspapers.com, accessed May 6, 2022, https://www.newspapers.com/image/338608834/.

"Organ Factory," Moline (IL) Review, Friday, December 25, 1874, Supplement, [1], Newspapers.com, accessed May 6, 2022, https://www.newspapers.com/image/338609510/.

Untitled note, Muscatine (IA) Daily Journal, Monday, April 26, 1875, [4], Newspapers.com, accessed May 6, 2022, https://www.newspapers.com/image/542100345/.