Austin Organ Co.
Opus 412, 1912

Updated by Eric Schmiedeberg, naming this as the source of information: Statesman Newspaper--November of 1912, May of 1916, March of 1919, October of 1919.

This is the first of three pipe organs that were installed at this venue. This one served from November of 1912 to around March of 1919. At that time, a 2/4 Wurlitzer Style 135-A w/ Piano-style console--Opus 203--replaced it. In October of that year, yet another Wurlitzer was installed--a 3/12 Style 185 Special--Opus 241.

The theatre was known as the Globe until 1915 when George B. Guthrie took over its operation. One of his organists was a young lady by the name of Miss Vera Kitchener, in the pre-Wurlitzer days. According to newspaper accounts, she was quite the virtuoso on the Austin and would have a large following in Salem and the surrounding communities. She would later be called upon to enter an organist\'s competition at the Wannamaker Store in Philadelphia as the lone female contestant. How that turned out is unknown, but she would go on to enjoy theatre organist postings in the Midwest and East Coast later in her career.

Updated through online information from James R. Stettner. -- The organ cost $3,900.00. It was moved at an unknown time and by an unknown person or firm to Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, WA. It was replaced there in 1971 by a new Casavant, and was relocated by Richard Warburton to St. Philomena's R.C. Church in Des Moines, WA, where it exists and is controlled by a non-original 3-man. console and is no longer under expression.

Information identifying this instrument from the Austin Organs, Inc. web site, accessed December 31, 2004: http://www.austinorgans.com/organ-research.htm.