Andrew Henderson on November 10th, 2025:
From Livingston Republican (February 10, 1876): "About a year ago members of the Central Presbyterian Church of Geneseo became impressed with the idea that an organ was all that was lacking to make the church the first in the land, and immediately Mrs. Charles F. Wadsworth and Miss Frank Lauderdale resolved themselves into a committee to solicit the amount needed for the purpose. Every member of the congregation was appealed to and a majority responded handsomely, so that with a little assistance from outside parties the sum of $1800 was raised by the first of November, and a contract entered into with Mr. Giles Beach of Gloversville, NY, for an organ, to be finished the first of December. A little more time than first agreed upon was given Mr. Beach in which to finish the organ, and on the 24th January it arrived and was put up, the workmen being discharged last Saturday. The organ is a massive structure reaching from floor to the ceiling and is 14 feet wide. It is made of ash and chestnut, trimmed with black walnut, with illuminated front pipes, of blue and gold with a variety of other colors in keeping with the interior decoration of the church, the whole of the best materials and workmanship, and warranted against any and all failures on account of any imperfection in either for the term of one year after it is put up. It is provided with two sets of manuals, CC to A in alt.; one set of pedals, CCC to D ... The bellows is operated by a rotary apparatus invented by the builder. The keys are of very fine ivory with ivory fronts, the "swell" keys beveled under and overhanging the great. The metal pipes are of English tin, above C in the bass staff, and the remainder of zinc of ample thickness. The swell box contains all the pipes played by the swell manuals, with vertical shades and balanced swell pedal. The organ is placed directly back of the pulpit, the middle pipes being shorter than those o the outside so as not to cover up the circular window of stained glass, in the front part of the church, through which a flood of light in beautiful colors is thrown on the organ, giving a most pleasing effect. The key board is placed on the east side of the organ, with the stops ranged directly over the keyboard, and so arranged that th organist will at all times have a full view of the speaker. A new platform has been put up, with a neat desk of chestnut and walnut; and also a raised platform for the choir, surrounded by a railing. In giving the above description we have used a good many musical terms which a majority of our readers may not understand -- in fact we do not understand them ourselves -- but there are in our midst, a great many talented musicians who will recognize them, and who will see at once that the organ is one of the very best manufactured, having all the latest improvements; and it has been put up on a solid foundation so that there is nothing to fear from its settling or being moved one atom. The workmen, Stephen Moore and Charles Beach, have worked faithfully to have it ready at a given time, as everybody is anxious to hear its tones. It is to be presided over by Miss Mary Goheen, who is an accomplished musician, and who will with a very little practice take the lead as an organist in this section. Having given our readers a general idea of the organ and its surroundings, we will now speak of the concert which is to be given to-morrow evening altho Central church, by Prof. Herve D. Wilkins, and a quartette from Rochester ..."