Database Manager on December 20th, 2008:
Identified through on-line information from Nara Newcomer. -- The instrument was originally built by Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling and installed at the University Church of Christ in downtown Buffalo, NY, and dedicated on May 28, 1922. (Date comes from the original dedicatory program, of which I have a copy.) The organ does have a nameplate and I think it said Votteler-Holtkamp-Sparling but I did not transcribe it and I do not have any pictures where the nameplate is readable. The organ was moved and reinstalled by Carl Stradtman, who did not attach any sort of new nameplate to it. I put in the database that the instrument was currently in "unaltered" condition, because the instructions seemed to indicate this was for the current location, and the instrument has not been altered since it was installed in its current location. However, based on the dedicatory program stoplist and the organ itself, I'm sure some (probably quite a bit of) rebuilding has taken place. For example, while the great is currently unenclosed I think it must have originally been enclosed as there is a great expression pedal. Also, the original stoplist indicates almost all 8' stops, but the current great has 2 4's and a 2', and the swell has a 4' and a 2' (not independent, though. Probably these were extended at some point.) There are also several non-functional toe pistons. So the organ has undergone significant changes, probably both in its original location and at the time it was moved.