Thomas Appleton
1827

Updated through online information from T. Daniel Hancock. -- The "two manual 1827 Thomas Appleton organ...is a near twin to the 1830 Appleton in the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Both organs have spectacular cases of very artistically chosen highly figured mahogany, with fine carvings in the manner of high style Empire case furniture--the Appleton family were some of the best cabinet makers in Boston-- and gilded facade pipes. American organs made before 1830 are quite rare, and this is certainly one of the finest surviving examples of its period. The organ retains its 58 note GGG.AAA-f3 manual compass, though unfortunately there are no longer any pipes for the bottom 4 notes. The organ was built for All Souls Unitarian Church in NYC, but in 1844 it was sold and moved to First Church in Middletown, Connecticut. In 1873 the church in Middletown replaced the Appleton with a larger organ by Steere & Turner, and the organ was again sold and moved to the church in Middle Haddam. In 1950 the Middle Haddam church bought a Hammond electronic, which is still there in the church, and the pipework of the Appleton was removed and given away to members of the church. The speakers of the Hammond were placed on top of the windchests of the Appleton--what a travesty! Finally in 1988 a movement to have the organ restored gained momentum; out of attics, barns, and storage closets came many of the pipes that had been given away in 1950. The Appleton was taken down the next year and sent to the Brooklyn workshop of Mann & Trupiano, who had restored the Met organ. So after 162 years, the organ returned to a part of the city where it had originally been installed. The restoration took three years, and it is truly museum quality work. The tone of the Appleton is very sweet and mild, in the manner of 18th century English chamber organs. It is a perfect vehicle for playing English voluntaries of the 18th and early 19th centuries." (excerpted from Stephen Roberts posting to Piporg-L)

Status Note: There 1994.

Built for All Souls Unitarian, New York City. Moved by Henry Erben to Middletown, CT in 1844, and later to Middle Haddam. Pipework sold for scrap c. 1957. Restored Trupiano [1992] with new pipework.