Andrew Henderson on November 4th, 2025:
This entry represents the installation of a new organ. Identified through online information from Andrew Henderson [November 4, 2025]: From the Wilkes-Barre *Times Leader* (January 16, 1897): "The Leader mentioned some months ago that a new organ for the Franklin Street M. E. church was in contemplation though at that time the scheme was quite indefinite. It is, however, no longer so. The plan I doing straight ahead and already some sketches have been submitted for the exterior of the organ. This will be no compromise affair ... It will have three manuals, besides an echo organ boxed inside the swell. It will also have the duplex pneumatic action that is as perfect as modern methods of organ building can make it ... There will be no part of the old organ used. This will be sold to the builders and such an amount as can be got for it will be accepted on the new organ." From the Wilkes-Barre *Times* (May 28, 1897): "The First Methodist Episcopal Church will be renovated during the summer and the new church organ will be in place within the next two months. The organ will be one of the largest in the East, of similar design but larger than the one in the Elm Park Church, Scranton. It is being made in Detroit by the Farrand & Votey Organ company. The case will be of ash corresponding with the interior finish of the church. In size the new organ will be 28 feet 3 inches wide, 14 feet deep and 34 feet in height. The stairs on each side of the old organ will be removed in order to make additional room for it. It will be a double organ -- that is, equal portions will be on each side of the key board. The key board will be in a recess. The organist will face the congregation. In front of the key board will stand the quartet and the space back of it will be used for an enlarged choir whenever that is desirable. The motive power will be electricity. The instrument will have all of the modern features and some very fine effects will be produced from it. One of the features will be 4th echo enclosed in a separate swell box, played from the choir manual, giving all of the advantages of a fourth key board. There will be a large number of stops and pedals and special mechanism, which will give the organist perfect control of the instrument and will enable him to produce the best effects from the great organ. It will be a three manual organ, compass CC to C 4--61 notes; pedals' compass CCC to F--30 notes. The great organ will contain eleven stops, the choir organ seven stops, pedal organ six stops; total number of stops thirty-seven. Couplers twelve; accessories six; pedal movements fourteen; total with stops sixty-nine; number of pipes in whole organ 2,288. The pipes will be gold leaf up to the tips, and above that point they will be inlaid with color to harmonize with the general effect. The pipes will extend to a height of thirty-four feet."