Raymond, Washington
United Church

Estey Organ, 1908/1929

Notes by James Stettner, 2005

This organ was originally built for First Presbyterian Church in Medford, Oregon.
It was moved to the Raymond Methodist Church in 1929 by an undocumented person
or firm. This could likely have been Mr. H. C. Ferris, who was the Portland, Oregon.
Estey representative.

As installed in Raymond, the organ was placed in the center of the room. The
keydesk was placed on a slightly elevated platform in the choir loft. The
chests, pipes, regulator, etc. were installed on a second floor level immediately
above the keydesk, which necessitated extending the lead tube runs from the
keydesk to the chest and stop primaries. Stops are controlled by the standard
miniature Haskell keyboard placed over the Swell keys.

The Swell 8' Salicional borrowed its bottom 12 notes from the 8' Stopped Diapason.
The 8' Oboe is a set of labial pipes.

At an undocumented time, two ranks were added to the organ: the Great 8' Melodia
and the Swell 8' Celeste.  These were added on new chests, but appear to be
used, recycled pipework.  The stops were controlled by reed organ style draw-
knobs placed on either side of the original Haskell stop action: Melodia on
the right and Celeste on the left. Both added chests tap into the original
note channels and are tubular-pneumatic.

At present (2005) the Great 4' Octave has been replaced by a rank of string pipes
marked, "Viol 531." Perhaps this was the added Celeste rank.  The added Celeste
has also been replaced with a used 8' Vox Humana that appears to be of Möller
construction and is marked with opus number 8670.
 
The organ is basically unplayable, though completely restorable or rebuildable.