St. Joseph Catholic Church

Once in awhile a project comes along that presents challenges on many fronts. This parish in Salisbury, Missouri has certainly had challenges in the past. The church had experienced a mold infestation that closed the main church building while the interior was redone to remove the mold and restore the church to its former glory. The church's pipe organ had been the result of several different organ builders altering windchests, selecting pipework from many sources, and providing other components in a manner that did not provide consistencies. The organ case was from an historic instrument by the J. G. Pfeffer company in St. Louis, but little, if anything, remained from that instrument. When Father Jeremy Secrist was appointed pastor of the church in Salisbury, we were asked to assess the instrument as it had been removed for possible reinstallation and provide guidance for the church moving forward. Upon inspection, the pipework and chests were in a deteriorated state and the entire organ needed an overhaul. The case had seen years of paint added and façade pipework was beaten up and failing. Inside the organ much of the pipework was beyond repair and the wind chest, too, needed to be completely reworked. As Fr. Secrist is the Bishop's Delegate for Care and Promotion of Pipe Organs in the Diocese of Jefferson City he was clear in his desire for an instrument of modest scope which would lead congregational singing and be within the bounds of the church's means. 

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To keep the costs down, the backbone of the new instrument will come from two other organs in the Diocese of Jefferson City with old pipework being acquired, rescaled, and revoiced to fit the new room and tonal specification. The original mechanics are getting an overhaul and a new solid-state control system and relay being supplied to drive the instrument. The original Pfeffer case front is getting a restoration by a cabinetmaker in the congregation and we are providing services to restore the pipework façade. We are looking forward to seeing this instrument come to life in a deserving parish in rural Missouri.

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To follow along with this project, stop by our blog and look for the tag "Salisbury" for all the project updates.