Saint Paul's Episcopal Church receives historic organ

Apr. 25—St. Paul's Episcopal Church will soon have a new pipe organ.

Franklin residents Don DeSilva and Vincent Speranza were busy unloading the wooden pieces of an antique pipe organ from the Franklin Fire Department trailer while Dan Branigan supervised. Branigan, senior warden at the church, said he had recently had rotator cuff surgery, so he couldn't lift a lot. DeSilva and Speranza said they were happy to help the church. Branigan said the fire department donated the use of the trailer to the church for the move.

One of the wooden pieces moved included a dedication plate in memory of the first organist to play the instrument starting in 1892. Branigan said they would keep that plaque and install one underneath it to say where the organ came from. The organ was gifted by the Episcopal Diocese of Syracuse and came from St. George's Episcopal Church in Chadwicks, just outside of New Hartford, he said.

The pipe organ was built in 1891 by John Gale Marklove, who was a well-known organ maker in Utica, Branigan said. "He built 250 organs," he said. "This is one of 20 that remain in the nation today. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity."

He said Sidney Chase and Bryon Sprague of Chase Organ Company in Worcester will refurbish the pipes before the organ is rebuilt in the historic church about where the original organ stood. Branigan pointed to a hole in the wall inside the church and said he never knew what the hole was for until he started researching organs. He said the hole was for the manual manipulation of the original organ's bellows. He said Chase will install a motor to support the historic organ's bellows before it is rebuilt in the church.

"This is very similar to what was taken out in the 1950s to make room for the electric organ," Branigan said. "Electric organs were all the rage and several churches got rid of their pipe organs."

The electric organ the church uses is 40 years old and Branigan said Chase informed the church last year he could no longer get parts to fix it.

Branigan said Chase is charging the church $9,350 to refurbish the pipes, install the motor and rebuild the organ. Branigan said Chase "told me when it's rebuilt, the value of the organ will be $200,000."

He said the church found out in December near the time of the annual Hometown Christmas concert the historic organ was available so the church applied for and received grants from local anonymous donors. He said it was announced during the concert and the community "wholeheartedly supported the project."

He said "the community in general supports us in all our church renovation efforts," including helping to raise $180,000 to replace the roof. He said the church has 30 members and has a pie sale at Old Franklin Day, the Hometown Christmas concert and first Thursday dinners.

He said the church hopes to have a concert once the organ is installed and a recording will be sent to the Syracuse diocese. However, "organists and pianists are very hard to find," he said. He said Alfred Fedak, who plays the organ during the Christmas concert, said he would play the pipe organ at this year's concert.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.