After the restoration was complete we had an entirely different picture of this instrument 
than originally thought.

The Great contains four stops, two original and two added by Sipe and Yarborough (one using 
an existing toe board and one new).  The Great Diapason is original though the slots were cut 
off.  The Octave is original and as with the Diapason, the slots were cut off.  The Octave was 
actually called an "Octavo" previously.  The pipe work was in such good condition that it 
looked too new to be original; however, that is not the case.  

The original Dulciana was moved to the Swell except for the bottom octave and re-named "Dolce".  
In its place a Gedeckt was added and the original bottom octave of the Dulciana had stoppers 
installed.  These are in the facade.  Notes 1-4 already had stoppers due to height issues in 
making a uniform facade, 5-12 received stoppers to match the rest of the Gedeckt in 1961.  It 
was originally thought that the Great Gedeckt was original due to the stoppers in the facade; 
however, it was later discovered that the 1893 stoppers did not match 1961 stoppers.  Also, after 
removing a considerable amount of dirt, the tubing from the Great chest to these pipes read "Dul". 
Unfortunately the bottom octave is a smaller scale than the rest of the rank.  In fact, Tenor C 
of the Gedeckt is the same scale as Low A.  

A III Mixture was added and the previous explanation listed above is correct.  It is a 2' Mixture 
with few breaks.  

The Swell 8' Flute is original but the nicks were filled in, they were left that way since the 
stop was not overly chiffy.  

This culminates into the following, Five of the original Seven ranks remain though altered 
(excluding the 16 Subbass in the Pedal), the new ranks are a Gedeckt and III Mixture in the
Great and a 4' Rohr Flute and 2' Gemshorn in the Swell. The two ranks removed from the 
instrument were an 8' Keraulaphone and a 4' Harmonic Flute from the Swell.   

In the Great, the III Mixture draw knob is labeled "Blower" inside the instrument.  The 
stop would turn on a water valve under the church and city water pressure would turn a turbine 
that would turn the blower.  The water line and valve are still in place though no longer 
connected to anything.  

A new Great chest was made by A. R. Schopp and it fit perfectly; the original made of Sugar Pine 
was sent to their shop to be duplicated.  With the exclusion of "dove" tail corners and the 
use of Poplar, it is an exact match.  The original pallet springs were used in the new chest 
as well as the original sliders, made of Mahogany.   Lindsey & Scott of Laurel Mississippi 
restored the only reservoir as well as re-leathered all the wood pipes in the Pedal and the 
round stoppers in the facade.  As with A. R. Schopp, their work was impeccable.         

While cleaning the keyboards and regulating the "stickers"  inside the instrument, a note 
was found written on the Swell keys:  Tuned, Regulated, and Repaired, April 25 & 26, 1900 - 
L. E. Paine, Dallas, Texas.  A second note from 1907 was also found but was so light that it 
was unreadable beyond the date.        

The Swell couples through, meaning that if the Great to Pedal is engaged as well as the Swell 
to Great, then the Swell is by default coupled to the Pedal, there is no need to pull this 
stop if the other two couplers are engaged.  All the couplers move the keyboards coupled, 
meaning that playing on the Great with the Swell coupled to it also moves the Swell keys.        

It was not possible to determine the exact original wind pressure since the regulator was ruined 
prior to a reading being taken; however, under consultation with Bob Sipe and after weighing all 
the various pieces used to weigh the lid, it was determined to go with three (3) inches.  A total 
weight of 235 +/-  lbs was used on the seven (7) foot by four (4) foot reservoir.  New weights 
were used due to the fact that the previous weights were old window counter weights as well as 
chunks of masonry and various pieces of metal (containing two crowbars ), a few bricks and a weight
 from an exercise machine.        

The original flat 27 note Pedal Board was replaced with a 32 note, concaved, radiating, AGO Pedal
Board, 1961.  In 1985 Roy Redman added five pipes to the 16' Subbass to go from 27 notes to 32.        

Alton Bowman from "Alton Bowman Furniture Conservator" is presently cleaning the stenciled pipe 
work and repairing the finish of the case.  Mr. Bowman had a very thorough analysis (Cross-Section 
Microscopy Analysis) of the paint done by Dr. Susan L. Buck of Williamsburg VA and it was determined 
that a thin plant resin varnish was used as a primer and had been used prior to the paint being 
applied as well as other facts pertaining to the gold leaf, etc. etc.   All the paint is "oil" 
based.  (Mr. Bowan studied his trade in France and is used by many elite museums around the country 
in dealing with paint and wood restoration, especially in dealing with "historic" pieces centuries 
old.  He was recommended to us by the Dallas Museum of Fine Art.)

John Dill
[Received July 8, 2011]