ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
From: Terry Charles, June 2007
Opus 1066 was repossessed, rebuilt by Wurlitzer, given a new opus # of
2236 and installed in the studios of WMCA Radio in NYC about 1941.
Apparently the organ went to Buffalo's WGR Radio after the WMCA
location. After WGR... the travels of 2236 REALLY began!
After WGR, Dick Loderhose acquired the complete organ and installed it
in his home on Long Island, New York. Next, the complete organ was
acquired by Gary McDonald and installed in his home in Sarasota Florida.
Following his death, the organ was donated by his estate to the University
Of Tampa, Tampa, Florida.
I acquired the complete organ from the University of Tampa and installed
it in the Ritz Theatre in Clearwater, Florida about 1964.
The Kirk Of Dunedin Community Church in Dunedin, Florida acquired the
complete organ in 1967 and it was then installed in the new Sanctuary.
Console Separation: About 1973 or so, the 3/11 H Special Console (ONLY)
was replaced and sold to our Creative Lighting Director for the organ concert
series, Paul Sholomicki. He planned a future residence organ and was thrilled
to have the console. He was a great guy... always SO dependable and he
ALWAYS was offering new ideas in lighting. He was so very unfortunately
killed in a stage lighting accident at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Center in
Sarasota, Florida.
Presently, that console from 2236 resides in the elegant Tampa Theatre and
controls the pipe organ there and no one would be more pleased than Paul to
see it in that setting.
Now... to my point, 2236 has NOT been parted out or broken up for parts! The
entire 2236 organ, LESS console, resides within the now much enlarged organ
of the Kirk Of Dunedin, Dunedin, Florida.
Actually, in 1967 I purchased Wurlitzer # 1384, a 235 Special from the Florida
(originally a Paramount in 1926) and donated it to the Kirk and incorporated it
in the initial installation.
We were barely able to get 1384 removed as the wrecking balls were hitting the
Solo Chamber side (which we had removed) as we finished removing the Main
Chamber.