Some Organ History

As Black Mountain PC(USA) gets ready to celebrate 100 years of ministry, I have had occasion to do some research on the pipe organ in the sanctuary. The organ was given by members of the Cooley family. The contract with the Reuter firm in Kansas was signed in October of 1978. The contract price was $65, 677. (The organ would easily cost 4 times that amount to replace in 2007.) The nameplate on the console indicates this was opus #1979, and installation and dedication took place in early 1980. Delivery took place in February of that year, and the organ was dedicated at a special service and recital in April. Ted Crist was organist and choir director when the organ project was begun. He also played the dedicatory recital. Here is a list of the stops included in the organ:

Great
Principal 8' 61 pipes
Gedackt 8' 61 pipes
Octave 4' 61 pipes
Koppelflote 4' 61 pipes
Flachflote 2' 61 pipes
Mixture III 183 pipes
Trompette 8' 61 pipes

Swell
Rohrflote 8' 61 pipes
Gemshorn 8' 61 pipes
Spitzflote 4' 61 pipes
Naset 2 2/3 61 pipes
Principal 2' 61 pipes
Terz 1 3/5 61 pipes
Cymbel II 122 pipes
Hautbois 8' 61 pipes

Pedal
Resultant 32'
Subbass 16' (56 pipes)
Octave 8' (from Gt)
Subbass 8' (ext Subbass 16')
Choralbass 4' (32 pipes)
Koppelflote 4' (from Gt)
Trompette 16' (12 pipes and from Gt)
Trompette 8' (from Gt)
Trompette 4' (from Gt)
Tremulant

Zimbelstern
Sw to Gt 16', 8', 4',
Sw to Sw 16', 4', u/o
Gt to Gt 16', 4', u/o
Sw to P 8', 4'
Gt to P 8', 4'

1243 total pipes

The organ is installed in a single, freestanding case at the east end of the sanctuary. The Swell division is lowest in the case, just above the choir singers' heads. The Great is above the Swell at the top of the case. The pedal pipes are in the two side towers that flank the central divisions. Here is a link to some photos of the delivery and installation. The east wall had glass on the two sides with a central plaster section. In the photos a few frames of stained glass and a portion of the plaster wall have been covered by aluminum-clad insulation panels. The cross that had hung on the east wall now hangs on the front of the organ case as part of the facade display.