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Columbia Organ Works
915 Lancaster Avenue; Columbia, Pennsylvania USA 17512
Telephone: (717) 684-3573 Fax: (717) 684-4428
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Columbia Organ Works915 Lancaster Avenue; Columbia, Pennsylvania USA 17512 Telephone: (717) 684-3573 Fax: (717) 684-4428
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In 1906, Bainbridge Georgia's First Presbyterian Church purchased a two manual mechanical action pipe organ from Henry Pilcher's Sons of Louisville, Kentucky. The instrument served the congregation well for about 50 years until the organist developed arthritis and felt that the instrument was too difficult for her to play. An electronic instrument was purchased in the late 1950's and the Pilcher was discarded except for the case and facade pipes. By the early 1970's the electronic instrument had developed many problems and was replaced with another electronic device. In the mid-1990's the second electronic instrument had begun to fail and the church decided to seek alternatives to purchasing a new electronic every twenty to twenty five years. Columbia Organ Works was contacted with the question "can we just get an organ like the pipe organ we used to have"? After obtaining a copy of the contract for the church's original Pilcher organ from Stephen Pinel at the American Organ Archives, we contacted Alan Laufman of the Organ Clearing House to see if he could find a similar Pilcher organ for the church. Within a few weeks, an instrument was located that was once housed in a now closed Baptist church in Lousiville. It was built by Henry Pilcher's Sons in 1910. The organ was purchased by the Bainbridge church and shortly thereafter, a contract was signed with Columbia to restore the instrument and make some tonal additions. Dr. Michael Corzine of Florida State University served as the church's consultant. The instrument is now housed behind the case and facade of the church's original Pilcher organ and the bottom 17 pipes of the great 8' Open Diapason from the 1906 instrument are used in the new configuration. The organ is comprised of 2 manuals and a 30 note pedal with 15 ranks. |
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Send mail to
larry@columbiaorgan.com
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