The Lansdowne Kimball is a three manual 8 rank
organ built by the W.W. Kimball Co. of Chicago in 1927. The Lansdowne Theatre is located in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and is a 1600 seat house. The theatre interior is in the spanish/moorish style, and is a single floor layout.
The organ was installed in the standard two
chamber arrangement. It is my understanding that the console was not on a lift. I do not know if the organ was ever silent for an extended period of time while still in the theatre. I do know that it was used regularly till about 1973, at which time it suffered water damage in the main or left chamber. The pedal offset chest and some of the effects and traps got wet. The pedal became unplayable and the organ was no longer used. Management sold the organ around that time to Sam LaRosa and Bill Greenwood. The organ was moved to storage where it remained till I bought it in October of 1998.
I moved the organ to Jackson Mississippi in April of
1999, and am in the process of installing it in my home.
The Organ pipe work is in great shape. The main
chests were recently rebuilt. The offsets, traps, effects, and percussions will all require restoration. It is my intention to modify only the relay and stop switches. Any wood replaced will be as close to original as possible. All stripped screw holes will be plugged and redrilled.
This is a very exciting project that I have looked
forward to for over 40 years. |
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