Standaart Organ Co.
1953

From Coburn Memorial UMC Church archives: History of the Pipe Organ Coburn Memorial United Methodist Church

Following World War II, attendance grew both in the choir and the congregation. Carroll Earnhardt and Homer Gardner (who was the choir director) began a movement to get a pipe organ for the church. After extensive research, the Standaart Pipe Organ Company of Suffolk Virginia was selected. The head of the firm, Adrian Standaart, was an electronic engineer. His family had been building pipe organs for many years in Europe and he was considered to be one of the best pipe organ designers at the time. However it turned out that Mr. Standaart was not a great a businessman. Several months after Coburn had placed their order and after they had made several payments, the Standaart Pipe Organ Company went bankrupt. The bank foreclosed on their shop and manufacturing facility in Suffolk Virginia. Mr. Standaart contacted the church members and told our congregation that the Coburn Pipe Organ was almost complete and it was ready to be shipped. The grocery trucks from Earnhardt’s Superette came to the rescue. Numerous trucks were dispatched to Suffolk to retrieve the all of the pipes and the other parts of the organ, plus Mr. Standaart's tools and equipment. The first floor of our education building was converted into a pipe organ workshop and organ parts were stored all over the church. In 1953 the pipe organ was finally completed at a total cost of $25,000.00.

This entry is believed to represent the installation of a new organ. Identified through online information from George W. Jenista (June 16, 2025).