Mount Vernon, Washington
Fir-Conway Lutheran Church
BALCOM and VAUGHAN, Opus 472, 1948
R. Byard Fritts, 19__ - Tonal Change
GREAT (Expressive) SWELL (Expressive) PEDAL (Expressive)
16 Open Diapason 16 Bass Flute 16 Bourdon
8 Open Diapason 8 Open Diapason 16 Gedeckt
8 Gedeckt 8 Gedeckt 8 Open Diapason
8 Salicional 8 Salicional 8 Gedeckt
8 Dulciana 8 Dulciana 8 Cello
4 Octave 4 Flute 4 Octave
4 Flute 4 Salicet
4 Salicet 2-2/3 Twelfth
4 Dulcet 2 Piccolo
2-2/3 Octave Quint 8 Oboe Horn [Trumpet]
2 Fifteenth Tremolo
8 Oboe Horn [Trumpet]
Chimes
STOP / RANK / PIPE ANALYSIS
16 Open Diapason (Gt) -- Tenor C. From the 8' Open Diapason.
16 Bourdon (Ped) 12 Extension of the 8' Gedeckt.
16 Gedeckt (Ped) -- Same as the 16' Bourdon. Notes 1-12
on soft wind.
16 Bass Flute (Sw) --
8 Open Diapason (Gt/Sw/Ped) 61
8 Gedeckt (Gt/Sw/Ped) 61
8 Salicional (Gt/Sw) 61
8 Dulciana (Gt/Sw) -- From the 4' Dulcet. Tenor C.
4 Octave (Gt/Ped) 12 Extension of the 8' Open Diapason.
4 Flute (Gt/Sw) 12 Extension of the 8' Gedeckt.
4 Salicet (Gt/Sw) 12 Extension of the 8' Salicional.
4 Dulcet (Gt) 61
2-2/3 Octave Quint (Gt) -- Same as the Swell 2-2/3' Twelfth.
2-2/3 Twelfth (Sw) 7 Extension of the 8' Gedeckt.
2 Fifteenth (Gt) -- From the Open Diapason unit. Top
octave from the Gedeckt unit.
2 Piccolo (Sw) 5 Extension of the 8' Gedeckt.
8 Oboe Horn [Trumpet] (Gt/Sw) 61
Tremolo (Sw) Affects the entire instrument.
Chimes (Gt) (21) Maas: Compass tenor a thru f 42.
PIPE SUMMARY
Open Diapason Gedeckt Salicional Dulciana Trumpet
73 pipes 97 pipes 73 pipes 61 pipes 61 pipes
PEDAL MOVEMENTS
Expression (bal.)
Crescendo (bal.)
ACTION: E-P unit VOICES: 5 STOPS: 29 RANKS: 5 PIPES: 365
(inc. chimes)
NOTES
This Fir congregation was organized on September 16, 1888 at the Fir school house.
Worship was conducted at this location from 1888 until 1896 when the first church
building was built. It was 24' x 42' and 14' high. The Conway Norwegian Evangelical
Lutheran Congregation built their church building in 1905. The present church edifice
was built and dedicated in 1916, and in 1917 the Fir and Conway congregations merged
to become Fir-Conway Lutheran Church. For many years the two churches sat side-by-side.
The present Sunday school wing was built in 1957 on the site of the old church.
The first organ in use was a large reed organ located at the front of the chancel on
the left, front wall. From photos it appears to have been a I-manual instrument with
a large stoplist. It also had a highly stencilled façade of pipes arranged as two end
towers with a large central flat. The disposition of that instrument is not recorded.
The Balcom and Vaughan pipe organ was installed in December, 1949 according to the
published church centennial history. It was dedicated by Mrs. Dorothy Malmin of Pacific
Lutheran University.
The Open Diapason is scale 42. The Salicional is scale 62. The Dulciana is scale 56. The
console and chests were built by Balcom and Vaughan. The shutters were used Wurlitzer
shutters. The pipes, regulator, and tremolo were purchased from Organ Supply Industries
of Erie, PA.
The R. Byard Fritts work consisted of replacing the original tenor C 8' Oboe Horn with a
new Stinkens 8' Trumpet. A new electro-mechanical windchest was provided for the bottom
octave. It seems likely that the Great 2-2/3' Octave Quint was rewired from the Open
Diapason unit (which is traditional on a unified Balcom and Vaugnan) to the Gedeckt unit.
Sources: Balcom and Vaughan opus list & files; Church Centennial History; JRS; extant organ.
[Received from James R. Stettner 2014-02-28.]