Andover Organ Co.
1983

The Andover Organ Company renovated the organ with further tonal revisions in 1983. The work included restoration of the windchests, replacement of the Swell string with a 2' Principal- a standard Andover treatment of the period, as well as general renovation and regulation of the keyboards, pipework and action. Andover provided elegant stop labels for those missing or altered, which were exacting replicas of the originals and replaced the temporary labels from Wessel. The stenciled facade decoration is original.

The organ was originally built for the substantial 1848 Italianate estate "Ashmere" in Windsor Locks, Conn. in 1883, and moved to the Broad Brook, Conn. Grace Episcopal Church in 1959 when the home was sold and demolished after ultimately serving as the Ashmere Inn from 1952-59 . Grace church was condemned as unsafe and torn down in 1962. No space was allowed for the organ in the replacement ediface so it was sold to the Hebron church and moved by John Wessel of Brattleboro, VT in 1963 with two tonal changes. The organ received maintenance and minor repairs by Richard Hamar between 1971 and 1979.

The First Congregational Church disbanded in 2019 and the building sold to the Church of Hope pentacostal congregation. Emerging from Covid-19 distancing in the spring of 2021, the congregation has removed all evidence of traditional worship from the room and is planning to junk the organ as soon as possible as of the first week of June, 2021 although it is hoped a deserving home can be found at the eleventh hour.