M. P. Möller
Opus 5932, 1931

The Estey was "modernized" by the Delaware Organ Co. in 1963. The church eventually voted to build a new building on the same plot of land, tearing the old church down. The new church in a modified A-frame style was dedicated in 1973. Fred Burmaster, formerly of the Delaware company, re-fashioned the Estey remains into a new two-manual organ with pipework from a variety of sources, but only the Clarinet was definitively catalogued as being from Moller 5932. This congregation recently merged with the Holy Trinity Lutheran congregation, using the Immanuel building, and is now known as the Tree of Life Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Organ Dedication Recital Program, May 20, 1931, 8pm - played by DeWitt C. Garretson, AAGO, Organist at St. Paul's Cathedral, Buffalo, NY

Concert Overture in C Minor -Hollins
Moto Perpetuo -Paganini-Bossi
Sonata in G Minor -Rene-Becker
Praeludium
Scherzo
Prayer
Toccata
The Bee -Lemare
The Cuckoo -Lemare
Festival Prelude on "A Mighty Fortress" -Faulkes
Kanmenoi Ostrow -Rubenstein
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor -Bach
Celebrated Air -Back
Symphony in B Minor ("The Unfinished") First Movement -Schubert
Toccata from the Fifth Symphony -Widor

On Oct 31, 1926, three members of the Senior Choir gave a total of seven cents to begin a fund for a new pipe organ. In Jan 1930, the congregation gave official consent and builders were consulted. The committee had already virtually settled on the Möller Company but voted on Jan 14, 1931 to also seek other bids. Oddly, by the end of that evening and with half the members absent, the decision to sign with Möller was finalized. The contract was for a three-manual organ of 23 ranks and 30 stops, Opus 5932, including preparation for a future 6-stop Echo Organ that was never completed. The contract price was $8,000.

The instrument was dedicated on May 20, 1931 by DeWitt C. Garretson, then organist at St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo, NY. His recital program is included in an additional Note. The instrument was the first at this church to be located in chambers, on either side of the sanctuary.

This organ was severely damaged by a fire in the early morning hours of March 21, 1942, that started in the pastor's study directly under the Swell chamber. Ultimately, what remained was partially reused by Estey in their Opus 3144, installed in December of that year.

Identified from factory documents and publications courtesy of Stephen Schnurr.