Central United Methodist Church
1011 2nd St.
Muskegon, MI 49440
Description
The Stanley Memorial organ is a 66 stop 50 Rank M.P. Moller instrument. It is located in chambers at either side of the chancel, with exposed pipework on each side. An Antiphonal division is enclosed in the gallery railing. The console is in the chancel on the right side with a solid railing hiding the view from the nave. The keyboards are facing the congregation. Angled jambs with drawknobs are provided. There are expression pedals for Antiphonal, Choir, and Swell divisions. It is interesting to note the use of several colors for the tuning caps/cylinders in the exposed pipework. Also note the inclusion of a Sordun in the exposed great pipes on the right side of the chancel. This short resonator reed stop is seldom found in organs of this vintage, but here is available at 16′ and 8′ on the Great, and at 16′, 8′, and 4′ in the Pedal.
Several ranks in the Choir and the Swell have 73 pipes to allow the 4′ couplers to function with a full range of notes. The Untersatz 32 was created by capping the 16′ Open Wood from the original 1929 instrument during the 1965 rebuild. The Digital* stop tab on the Pedal division allows a 32 foot Reed, of several tonalities which can be selected from a display on the console.
The Antiphonal organ may be coupled to any of the three keyboards, but does not have its own keyboard. The coupler rail also has a tab for a cymbelstern.
History
The Stanley Memorial organ was aquired for the church in 1929 from the M.P Moller company as their opus 5632 with 32 ranks. In 1965 the company expanded the organ to its current size, and provided a new console. In 2002 an electronic 32 foot reed stop was added to the Pedal division by the Don Haan Organ Company. In 2017 a set of Chimes were added to the Swell division.
M.P. Moller was founded by its namesake, Mathias Peter Moller, in 1875 after he had emigrated from Denmark in 1872. The Moller Company was induced to move to Hagerstown, Maryland in 1881. Famous Moller organs include the organ of the Chapel at the West Point military academy, which was dedicated in 1911. Moller developed their own version of the pitman wind chest and for a time became the worlds largest organ manufacturer. However the failure to adopt newer technology, a lack of investment in their facility, and labor problems led to its closure in 1992.
Moller believed that Organs should be affordable for anyone who wanted one, so they made a standard 3 rank instrument called the ‘Portable’ and a 3 to 9 rank series called the ‘Artiste.’
Picture Gallery
Please click on any picture to bring up a slide show.
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- Console
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- Chancel with pipe chambers and exposed Great pipes on each side
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- Right side chamber and exposed pipes; Note Sordun at front right
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- Left side pipe chamber
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- Nave and gallery with Antiphonal division in the gallery railing
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- Historic marker
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- Sanctuary and tower
Stoplist
Great I
Principal 8′
Octave 4′
Fourniture IV
Sordun 16′
Sordun 8′
Great II
Quintade 16′
Bordon 8′
Koppelflote 4′
Doublette 2′
Tierce 1 3/5 ‘
Scharf III
Tremulant
Antiphonal
Echo Flute 8′
WeitPrinzipal 4′
Flute 4′ {12}
Kleinoctav 2′ {12}
Trompette 8′
Vox Humana 8′
Tremulant
Chimes {25}
o
Choir
Viola 16′ {12}
Viola Pomposa 8′
Viola Celeste 8‘
Gedeckt 8′
Gemshorn 8′ {12}
Gemshorn Celeste 8′
Fugara 4′
Gedeckt 4′ {12}
Prinzipal 2′ {12}
Harmonic Flute 2’
Larigot 1 1/3 ‘
Sesquialtera II
Zimbel II
Bombarde 8′
Clarinet 8′
Rohrschalmei 4′
Tremulant
Harp
Swell
Rohrgedeckt 16′
Rohrflote 8 {12}
Gamba 8′
Gamba Celeste 8′
Spitzprincipal 4′
Waldflote 4′
Octavin 2′ {12}
Plein Jeu III
Fagot 16′
Trompette 8′
Oboe 8′
Clarion 4′
Tremulant
Chimes
Pedal
Untersatz 32′
Contra Bass 16′
Bourdon 16′ {12}
Quintade 16′ [GT]
Rohrgedeckt 16′ [SW]
Viola 16′ [CH]
Prinzipal 8′ {12}
Gedecktpommer 8′ [GT]
Rohrflote 8′ [SW]
Viola 8′ [CH]
Octave 4′ {12}
Gedeckt 4′ [GT]
Octavin 2′ {12}
Rohrflote 2′ [SW]
Mixture III
Acuta II {24}
Digital *
Bombarde 16′ {12}
Sordun 16′ [GT]
Bombarde 8′ [CH]
Sordun 8′ [GT]
Bombarde 4′ [CH]
Sordun 4′ [GT]
* see text
