Seattle, Washington 
Plymouth Congregational

E. M. Skinner Organ, 1911/12

Notes

 The organ was contracted in 1911, but not installed until 1912. 

The December 1912 issue of The Diapason gives the stoplist and 
some details, including, "The organ has 15 couplers, twenty-four 
combination pistons, and three reversibles." It goes on to 
indicate that the Swell, Choir, and Solo were enclosed in cement 
swellboxes. It also goes-on to specifically tout the expression 
mechanism: 

"The organ has electro-pneumatic swell actions. 
These swells are a great recent improvement in the modern organ, 
giving the organist a command of crescendo effects never before 
possible with any form of mechanism."  

Wind pressures were 5", 7-1/2", 10", and 15". 

There are some enticing mysteries involving this organ.  The 
Aeolian-Skinner website lists the stoplist but does not include 
an 8' Vox Humana on the Solo. But this stop was recorded in the 
December 1912 issue of The Diapason, and in the stoplist by 
Seattle resident and former Balcom and Vaughan President, 
William J. Bunch. Additionally, the Bunch specification lists 
the Swell 16' reed register as a Contra Posaune, and the 8' 
"Trumpet" register as Posaune. But both the Aeolian-Skinner 
website and Diapason listings give them as 16' Trumpet and 8' 
Cornopean. 

Of greatest curiosity is the presence on Mr. Bunch's stoplist of 
a 4-register, 7-stop (inc. chimes), 4-rank, 256-pipe expressive 
Echo division...which is not listed on the Aeolian-Skinner 
website nor by The Diapason article. The Balcom and Vaughan 
Master Opus List has a 1956 entry for the Skinner at Plymouth 
for repairs and cleaning. It also lists the size as "4-45" and 
includes an "E" which usually meant elecrification, but may 
have indicated "Enlarged.".  So it seems likely that the organ 
may have been enlarged and tonally altered or re-voiced. 

In support of this, an extant photo of the console by William J. 
Bunch does show six nameplates above the drawknobs in the angled 
jambs. And Mr. Bunch goes on to state that the wind was supplied 
to the Main organ by a 10 h.p. Spencer "Orogoblo" blower; and 
the Echo was winded by a 1 h.p. Kinetic. Sadly, the organ was 
broken-up for parts when the church built yet another new 
edifice in 1967-68 and installed a 3-manual Schlicker. 

The Skinner bench and several ranks survived in a three-manual, 
20-rank organ in the N. Seattle residence of Richard Anderson, 
but were again dispersed after his passing ca. 2004.

[Received on line from James R. Stettner May 8, 2007.]