Broadway United Presbyterian Church
Bellingham, WA
Opus 978



Great
8'  Gr. Open Diapason                61
8'  Gr. Melodia                           61
8'  Gr. Dulciana                  (tc)   49
4'  Gr. Octave                             61
 
Swell (Enclosed)
8'  Sw. Stopped Diapason           61
8'  Sw. Salicional                       61
8'  Sw. Voix Celeste           (tc)   49
4'  Sw. Flute Harmonic               61
8'  Sw. Oboe   [labial]          (tc)   49
Sw. Tremolo                         
 
Pedal
16'  Ped. Bourdon                       30
16'  Ped. Lieblich Gedeckt  (Sw)   - -
 
Couplers
Undocumented
 
Foot Levers
Undocumented
 
Pedal Movements
Swell Expression           balanced

Action: Tubular-Pneumatic key & stop
 
Voices:  10
 
Stops:  10
 
Ranks:  10

Pipes:  543

 




 
Notes
The organ was originally free-standing and encased. And the facade contained gold-painted pipes.
We know from the extant organ that the first 15 pipes of the Great 8' Open Diapason were in the facade. 
The keydesk was originally attached and projecting with a Haskell-style stop action.  The exact nomenclature of stops
and controls can not be verified since the organ has been electrified. Names given are based on the extant pipes and chests,
 and on other extant and documented examples of the builder's work from this period. The Great 8' Dulciana borrows
its bottom octave from the stopped bass of the 8' Melodia. Similarly, the Swell 8' Salicional borrows it bottom octave
from the bass of the 8' Stopped Diapason.
 
In 1949, Balcom and Vaughan was contracted to electrify and modernize the organ as their opus 464.  It was placed in a single chamber under expression and a used set of Kimball shutters was refurbished and installed. The original tubular-pneumatic action was changed to electro-pneumatic. The keydesk was removed from the case and filled-out to create an independent, detached console. And a new stop rail replaced the original Haskell stop action.  A 21-note set of chimes were added.
No tonal changes were made and the original chests were retained.
 
The church changed its name to First United Presbyterian before the 1949 electrification. In 19__, the Presbyterians sold their building to another congregation and the church was renamed Broadway Christian Church.  By the early 1990's, that congregation had dwindled to the point that only about a dozen members were attending worship, and services were held in one of the smaller classrooms rather than the sanctuary.  In 1991, the Christian congregation sold the building to Abundant Life Pentecostal Church. That congregation installed a dropped ceiling in the sanctuary, placing the organ chamber above the ceiling.
The organ was not used by the fundamentalist group.  In 1993, they made it available for purchase.
 
It was purchased in 1995 by Mr. Don Stagg of Blaine, WA., and was installed in his home with the help of friends.
Mr. Stagg is a skilled musician, playing piano, harpsicord, and organ. He has been a regular performer at Bellingham's
Mt. Baker Theatre. And he played at New York's Carnegie Hall. He also has in his home a I-manual, ca. 1863 Wm. A. Johnson tracker; a one-of-a-kind Sabathil & Son double harpsichord; a Sabathil & Son clavichord; a second clavichord made by Dominic Parker; a large Packard reed organ, several melodeons, An Everett 'Orgatron'; a Hammond, and about a dozen grand pianos by Steinway, Collard & Collard, Hardmann, a square grand with corrugated soundboard, and others.

The Estey is installed in a basement chamber and speaks into the living room through a floor grate, with  the
console in the living room.  The organ is maintained by James Stettner, and is used regularly for entertaining guests
and school children from the Bellingham and local Blaine school districts.
 
 
Sources
Estey opus list
Balcom and Vaughan opus list & files
Extant, electrified organ
James R. Stettner

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