Gary, Indiana

First City Methodist Church

Skinner Organ, Op. 611 (1926) in First City Methodist Church (Gary, IN)
 
First City Methodist Church (Gary, IN)
 
First City Methodist Church (Gary, IN)
 
 
 
 
  
Builder:        Skinner Organ Company
   Year:        1926
   Opus:        611
No. manuals:    4
No. stops:      60
No. ranks:      45
No. pipes:      3,019
 
 
 
                GREAT ORGAN                             SOLO ORGAN
            16' Bourdon              5 PED           8' Concert Flute       73
             8' First Diapason      61               8' Gamba               73
             8' Second Diapason     61               8' Gamba Celeste       73
             8' Wald Floete         61               8' Tuba Mirabilis      73
             8' Erzähler            61               8' French Horn         61
             8' Rohr Floete         SW               8' English Horn        61
             8' Flute Celeste II    SW                  Tremolo
             4' Octave              61
             4' Flute Triangulaire  SW                  ECHO ORGAN
           III  Mixture            183               8' Quintadena          61
             8' Tromba              SW               8' Cor de Nuit         61
                                                     8' Dulcet II          122
                SWELL ORGAN                             Tremolo
            16' Bourdon             73                  Chimes
             8' Diapason            73
             8' Rohr Floete         73                  PEDAL ORGAN
             8' Salicional          73              32' Diapason (resultant)
             8' Voix Celeste        73              16' Major Bass          32
             8' Flute Celeste II   134              16' Bourdon             32
             4' Octave              73              16' Violone             32
             4' Flute Triangulaire  73              16' Echo Lieblich       SW
            IV  Mixture            244              16' Dulciana            CH
            16' Waldhorn            73               8' Octave              12
             8' Cornopean           73               8' Gedeckt             12
             8' Corno d'Amour       73               8' Cello               12
             8' Vox Humana          73               8' Still Gedeckt       SW
                Tremolo                              4' Flute               12
                                                    32' Bombarde            32
                CHOIR ORGAN                         16' Trombone            12
            16' Dulciana            12              16' Waldhorn            SW
             8' Gamba               73               8' Tromba              SW
             8' Concert Flute       73                  Chimes              EC
             8' Dulciana            61
             4' Flute               73
             4' Gemshorn            73
             4' Dulciana            12
         2 2/3' Nazard              -- (Gemshorn)
             2' Piccolo             12
         1 3/5' Tierce              -- (Gemshorn)
         1 1/7' Septieme            -- (Gemshorn)
             8' Clarinet            61
                Tremolo
             8' Harp (TC)           --
             4' Celesta             61 bars


Source: Allen Kinzey

Photo Source: Larry Klug

Notes: The $650,000 facility was completed in 1925; half of the cost was given by United States Steel. Elbert Gary, the city's namesake, donated the organ. The nave had seating for 950 and, during the congregation's heyday, there were nearly 3,000 members. By 1973, that number had dwindled to 300. The congregation left the building in 1975, and it was used briefly by another congregation. The building was abandoned in the early 1980's and ravaged by vandalism over the ensuing years. A fire in 1997 did considerable damage to the nave, basically just leaving the walls and some ceiling. The building still stands, but just barely. Preservationists are trying to have the building rebuilt and used for civic purposes.

Not long before the second congregation gave up the building, the organ went to a residence in Lansing, Illinois. While an addition was being made to the home and the organ installed, the home burned and most of Op. 611 went with it. The console went through the floor into the basement.

Organ Historical Society Database: https://pipeorgandatabase.org/OrganDetails.php?OrganID=10751