Knoxville, Tennessee (1996)

This small practice organ is a new instrument incorporating several old ranks of pipes. The entire instrument rolls out easily for access to the back. The decorative panels above the console easily lift out, providing a more substantial level of volume if required. The chests have “normal” size pallets, and the organ is voiced on 2 5/8″. The pallet size combined with the wind pressure provides the all-important “pluck” which makes mechanical-action organs so satisfying to play.

The key action is build of cherry, and consists of two backfall rails which float to compensate for humidity changes.

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The new organ at Kern Memorial United Methodist was built originally as a 14 stop instrument by Carl Barckhoff about 1893 for the First Reformed Church of New Paltz, New York, a Huegenot congregation. It was moved to St. Paul’s Lutheran of Kingston, NY about 1928, and suffered considerable damage at the hands of less than competent workers.

Much of the case was lost, in particular the carved and ornamental parts, and the casework above the impost was reduced to only a pipefence.

In spite of the less than respectful treatment of the organ, it continued to function, and was still somewhat playable when we evaluated it in 2004. It was clear at that time that the instrument was a good solid prospect for a rebuild, and we recommended that Kern obtain the Barckhoff.

Dr. Steven and Vicki Bradford had purchased the former St. Paul’s church after it closed in 1999, and were converting it into a residence; their only wish was that the instrument not be lost to posterity, and they thus donated it to Kern Memorial Church. B. Rule and Company, with the help of a large party of church volunteers, removed the instrument, dead bats and all, in June of 2004.

The final disposition of the instrument came to a remarkable 25 stops, which represented nearly the maximum enlargement practicable for a 14 stop instrument. The key action is light and responsive, and the tonal appointments of the instrument work well in the sanctuary at Kern. The lower casework is nearly all original, though reconfigured.

The upper casework is new. The pipe stencilling follows the original Barckhoff patterns, and was executed by two men in the church: Joe Parks and Norm Smyrl.

Knoxville, Tennessee (1994)

The first organ for the First Church of Christ, Scientist was purchased in 1927. It was a 9-rank electro-pneumatic organ unified to 15 stops and was purchased as opus 1376 from Henry Pilchers Sons of Louisville, Kentucky. The Pilcher organ served until the congregation moved to the present structure in the 1970’s. At this time, the old Pilcher was considerably altered and a Moller console was part of the rebuild.

The present organ began its life as George S. Hutchings opus 442, built about 1898 for Blaney Memorial Baptist Church of Dorchester Lower Mills, Massachusetts. It was originally built as a two manual mechanical-action (tracker) organ.

The Hutchings was electrified and altered in the 1930’s by William Laws of Beverly, Massachusetts, and continued to serve Blaney Memorial Church until it was removed by the Organ Clearing House of Harrisville, New Hampshire in the 1980’s. The Organ Clearing House made the organ available for sale, and it was purchased by First Church of Christ, Scientist in 1994. Shortly thereafter, rebuilding work was begun in the B.Rule & Company shop.

The rebuilding of the organ involved wholesale changes both in physical layout and voicing to ensure that the old Hutchings could be tailored to meet the needs of this church and the intimate auditorium. The Laws electro-pneumatic stop-actions and pull-downs were retained and rebuilt, and one stop was added to each of the two slider chests.

Through judicious rescaling and revoicing, it was possible to re-use much of the old Pilcher pipework.

This pipework was combined carefully with the Hutchings pipework and with other old quality pipework re-located through the Organ Clearing House. The remaining pipework was provided either by B.Rule & Company or built new by Paul Byron of Maine. The very intentional result is an organ which speaks in an authentic 19th century voice, a tonal style which works well for the musical requirements of the Christian Science Church.

The organ case is new and was designed and built by B. Rule & Company. Its clean lines harmonizes with the church interior. All case pipes are speaking pipes.

Harlan, Kentucky (1995)

This one manual organ was built by Henry Pilcher’s Sons in 1889 for St. John’s Church, Lexington, Kentucky. It was poorly installed at Christ Church in the 1930’s, and never worked very well. In the mid-1940’s, the entire console and pedalboard were literally sawn off and thrown away. Although Christ Church had been told by several organ builders that the organ was unrestorable, B.Rule & Company was able to restore the organ completely and to enlarge it by one stop.

A lovely J.W. Steere & Son console was obtained through the Organ Clearing House, and it fit beautifully into the Pilcher case. The scaling is generous and the voicing is bold, making the instrument quite powerful and able to accompany congregational singing in this small sanctuary with ease.

The dedication was played on May 21, 1995 by Professor John Brock, professor of organ at the University of Tennessee.

Andover, Massachusetts (1997)

B.Rule & Company obtained the chassis and double-rise bellows for this organ from the Organ Clearing House, which had removed the organ from the Globe Congregational Church of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The organ was the last organ to leave the E.L. Holbrook shop as a two-manual 11 stop instrument in 1899.

B.Rule & Company built an entirely new case, all new key action, new wind lines, a new swell box and a new 30 note pedalboard. Considerable new pipework was provided (from Paul Byron, Pipemaker, Maine) and the organ was enlarged to 14 Stops.

The dedication was played by John Skelton on June 21, 1997. Mr. Skelton is an
Instructor at University of New Hampshire.