Portland, Oregon
Taylor Street M.E. Church
JOHN BERGSTROM & SONS, Opus 8, 1881 - Original Specifications
GREAT COUPLERS (Drawknob)
16 Bourdon 58 Swell to Pedal
8 Open Diapason 58 Great to Pedal
8 Melodia 58
8 Dulciana 58 Swell to Great
4 Octave 58
2-2/3 Twelfth 58
2 Fifteenth 58 FOOT TRUNDLES
III Mixture 174 Undocumented
8 Trumpet 58
PEDAL MOVEMENTS
SWELL (Expressive) Swell Expression (bal.)
8 Open Diapason 58
8 Stopped Diapason 58
8 Viola 58
4 Flauto Traverso 58
4 Violina 58 ACTION: Mechanical Key & Stop
2 Piccolo 58
8 Oboe 58 VOICES: 18
Tremolo
STOPS: 18
PEDAL RANKS: 20
16 Double Open Diapason 27
16 Bourdon 27 PIPES: 1,098
NOTES
In the mid 19th century, a schism divided the Portland Methodists into two congregations.
The original was called First M.E. Church. The dissenting group formed what was known as
Taylor Street M.E. Church. It was for this church that John Bergstrom built his Opus 8 in
1881. A parishioner provided a testimonial which appeared in the published opus list of
John Bergstrom & Sons:
Portland, Oregon, January 28th, 1892
The writer had the pleasure of contracting with Mr. Bergstrom for an
Organ in June, 1881, which may now be seen in Taylor Street M.E. Church
of this city. It has been pronounced a superb, beautiful, massive, and
powerful instrument by the most competent critics. Those who have deal-
ings with Mr. Bergstrom will never regret it. His instruments give
entire satisfaction, and the writer is glad of an opportunity to add
this unsolicited testimony to the character of an honorable gentleman
and a first-class mechanic.
J.A. Acton, Editor, Polaris
The differences that had separated the two congregations healed, and they reunited in 1915
at which time the Taylor Street M.E. Church was destroyed.
The organ next came to Waller Hall at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. This may have
happened in 1915, but it seems more likely that it was after 1919 when a fire gutted Waller
Hall, which was rebuilt in 1920. Possibly then, though more likely in the 1930's, the
Bergstrom was rebuilt and poorly electrified, retaining the original slider chests. By the
1950's, its action had largely failed. When the Bond firm of Portland built a new tracker-
action instrument for Cone Chapel at Willamette University in 1990, the ailing Bergstrom
was placed in storage in the Catholic Diocesan facilities on Burnside Drive in Portland.
The case had been butchered, and the electric action had long since failed. The original
keydesk and wind system were absent, and the organ had become home to birds.
Ca.1995, Holy Rosary Catholic Church and Dominican Priory had a fire which severely damaged their ca. 1928 2-manual Kilgen. That organ had been previously rebuilt and enlarged by BondOrgan Builders. The church opted to have the Bond firm build a new instrument. The former
Bergstrom organ was selected. Sixteen of the original 20 ranks were incorporated into a neworgan built by for Holy Rosary Catholic Church.
The two manual windchests were sold by the Bond firm to Meadway & Stettner Pipe Organs ofMonroe, Washington, and the Pedal 16' Double Open Diapason was sold to another builder.
Sources: The Tracker, Vol. 41, No. 1, 1997, pp. 9 & 10; extant original chests
[Received from James R. Stettner 2012-07-08.]