Remember the Past,

Celebrate the Present,

Build for the Future

A Brief History of Trinity’s Pipe Organ

Trinity’s founders were people of great vision and faith as they built a church of stone that could withstand the rigors of weather and time. Constructed in 1916-17, the sanctuary included a pipe organ built by Hillgreen Lane & Co. of Ohio, and purchased for $3,500. That same instrument is still used today.  The original position of the console was under the middle window of the choir loft.

During the pastorate of Clark Wood (1947-51) the console was moved to its present location. Records show that a Mr. Howes was brought in to do the work of lengthening and splicing the wiring under the choir loft. During the project, Mr. Howes took ill.  Rev. Wood continued the job with directions relayed from the bedridden technician, housed at a local hotel, to his wife, and then by phone from the hotel lobby to the church.  The organ was ready for use by the following Sunday!

In 1953 the choir loft was remodeled to its current configuration with its beautiful woodwork and curved pews. That project was funded by Dr. Reid Anderson, with Allen Johnson as architect.  The fine workmanship was done by Trinity parishioners Harmon Ebeltoft, Ed Nystrom and others.

In the Centennial year of 1983, funds were raised to refurbish and expand the organ. The electrical contacts and relays were replaced; an updated console was installed, and seven additional ranks of pipes expanded the musical range and capability of the instrument. The refurbishing was done by Balcom & Vaughan Organ Co. of Seattle and completed in 1985. A logbook begun at that time to record any problems and needed repairs or adjustments has entries on only five pages – a testament to the quality and care of the instrument.

Maintaining the Organ for Future Generations

When the organ was last tuned in February 2007, technician John Moyer of Balcom & Vaughan noted the advanced deterioration and detachment of the “leathers” covering the stoppers in the wooden flute ranks. These stoppers are adjusted inside each square pipe to set the pitch. At present some stoppers are wedged in so tightly that they cannot be adjusted, and others are so loose that they do not seal and are subject to shifting and rendering the pipe out of “tune.” Trinity’s organ has 267 wooden pipes with stoppers.

With the support of the trustees and Church Council, bids were sought for this needed repair. One of the significant costs and concerns was the plan to ship the pipes to an organ factory (Pennsylvania or Washington) for the work. Any pipes possibly damaged in transit would be difficult to replace with the same voicing. Heritage Church Organ Co. of Idaho Falls has submitted a bid to do the work locally in their shop.  A technician from Salt Lake would direct the work. The projected downtime for the organ would be only one Sunday as compared with an eight-week factory turnaround.

At the same time, Heritage recommends a thorough cleaning and inspection of the entire organ. All pipes would be removed to the sanctuary floor for cleaning of dust, debris and insects. The wind chest, shutters, valves, pipe chambers and air ducts would be cleaned, inspected and repaired.  Finally the organ would be reassembled and tuned.  While the end result will not be as dramatic as the previous renovation and addition of pipes, this maintenance should assure many more decades of service.  Note that there are a vast number of pipe organs in Europe that are centuries old.  An investment in preserving Trinity’s historical instrument serves as a testimony to the past and a gift to the future.