ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
From: Robert C. MacNeur, February 1999
After Ted Marks purchased this organ in the 1960's it was installed in his
Auto Body shop in Portland, Oregon until 1982 when it was purchased by Gene
Stoller and installed in the Robin Hood Theatre in Sherwood, Oregon.
This month I have purchased the organ from the city of Sherwood and I am currently
removing the organ to be completely restored and to be installed in a new
Music studio I am planning on building.
First of all the organ did come from The
Jacksonville school for the Blind, jacksonville, Illinois January 1929. The
school is now called the The Illinois State School for the Visualy
Impaired. I have spoken to the school , and they are celebrating their 150
year aniversary. the Auditorium is still there and the school historian is
forwarding photos of the organ when it was originlly installed and copies
of any files pertaining to the Organ.
Information shows that at one time there was a fire and the organ
substained smoke damage. June 1950, kilgen Organ Co, rebuilt the organ Job
#1338 and a new kilgen relay was installed and replaced the wurlitzer.
Also the organ was unified a little better with more couplers. The Switches
were added in the console and the backrail was expanded but the orginal
stops on the main rail remained the same,
The organ is not a typical theare organ, but the layout is
simular, ie.... Pedal, choir, great, Swell, instead of Pedal, Accomp,
Great, Solo.
The Ranks are as follows: (taken off the Orginal Wurlitzer
Setter Board Name Plate)
#1 tibia Clausa - 8' --- Original 8"
pressure - Stained over with Kilgen Orange
#2 Vox Humana 8' ----
Original Late style with Phospher Bronze Reeds,
#3. Concert Flute 16' -
Also Stained over with Kilgen Stain,
#4 Tuba Horn 8' (That stop is missing)
#5. Salicional 16' Original set (missing part of 8'Octave)
#6 Salicional Celeste -Original set
#7Open Diapason 16' - 8" Pressure Original Set
#8 Aeoline 8' - Console was marked Aeoline but the pipes were
Dulciana, (Info by Don Feeley, who played the organ in 1976 and Ted Marks
told him that the set was swapped out by the Factory.) Set is
Missing.....
The Organ has had some water, and is in fair to poor condition.... But I
wouldn't say TERRIBLE, because I wouldn't have bought it. This my 30th
year in Theatre Organ restoration and I have rebuilt worse.
The City of Sherwood is planning to restore the theatre and needs the stage
area for a community arts center, as the city manager told me , the organ
was surplus equipment!!! The Theatre was built in 1947 and originally sat
350 seats. It currently seats 250, the 100 seats are stored in the city
maintanence yard.