Culver, Indiana
The Culver Academies

M. P. Moller Organ, 1951

Organ unaltered until 1967, when Daniel Keller became organist. Keller undertook 
replacing several ranks with pipes from various sources, removed some other ranks 
altogether, and attempted alterations to the voicing of many original pipes. A leak 
(roof hatch left open) caused some damage to one of the two Swell chests aroound 1971. 
        
1972 - Murray Foreman became organist - he brought in Burger & Shafer (at the time 
Moller service representatives) to repair water damage and to replace all missing 
pipes.
         
1978 - Mark Milosevich succeeded Foreman, and he brought in Gustav Fabry Sons, Inc. 
(now Fabry, Inc.), who by then had become the authorized service representatives 
for Moller. During this time, the Swell roof hatch was pried open by winter ice, 
and serious water damage resulted. The Fabry company replaced the damaged Swell 
chest and requisite equipment, and also addressed many wear-related problems 
(recovering stop action switches, re-leathering reservoirs and shade pneumatics 
and stopknob pneumatics.
        
In 1980, John Gouwens became organist. After taking an inventory of the pipework 
throughout the organ, tracing sources as much as possible, he worked with Fabry, 
Inc. to replace ranks that didn't speak as they should (most of this being original 
pipework that had been modified). Several ranks of pipes that Keller installed are 
still present. A few of the original ranks were moved (by Keller) from one place 
in the organ to another. Also, two percussion stops were added: a Deagan Class A 
set of chimes (with new action) and a 49-note Harp. The Harp was a Deagan, from 
the 1930 Moller that was removed from Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Oak Lawn, 
Illinois. Since that time tonal regulation has been ongoing. Two Zimbelsterns were 
added more recently.

[Received through on line form from John Gouwens, October 27, 2005.]