ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
From: Chris Anderson, June 1997
Wurlitzer opus 0490 was installed in the Virginia Theatre shortly
before it opened on December 28, 1921. Originally a Style 185 2/7, it
was upgraded in 1924 to a Style 185 Special with the addition of the
Tibia. The theatre currently seats 1,600 and the organ is played prior
to and during intermissions for many of the performances.
Rank List:
Open Diapason , VDO, VDO Celeste, Vox Humana, Tuba Horn, Concert
Flute, Clarinet, Tibia Clausa
Chrysoglott, Chimes, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Sleigh Bells, Assorted
traps and percussions
Tremulants: Tibia, Vox, Tuba, Main
David Junchen worked on this organ in 1965/66 while he was an Electrical
Engineering student at the University of Illinois.
From: Chris Anderson, July 2011
Dave Junchen added some Wicks relay stuff to provide a significant number of stops, replaced the blower,
and I think added some tremulants and possibly a regulator.
The console, which had been painted white as early as 1939, was refinished to a beautiful dark mahogany by Buzard in 2011.
From: Chris Anderson, June 2012
The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, Illinois' Wurlitzer was professionally restored and enlarged by
Buzard Pipe Organ Builders of Champaign in 2011, reinstalled Jan-March 2012, and rededicated on March 31 by Chris Gorsuch.
Two Wurlitzer ranks (Orchestral Oboe and English Post Horn) were added to bring it to a Style 216.
The original relay has been replaced with a Peterson unit but has been retained for future historical display purposes if space permits.
The theatre is closed for renovation until 2013 and the seat count has been about 1500 for several years.
As the seats will be replaced as part of this project, I do not know how many there will be when it reopens.