First Congregational Church
Blue Hill, Maine

Andover Organ Company Opus R-252

Andover Organ Company has completed the rebuilding and enlargement of a two-manual tracker organ for the Congregational Church of Blue Hill Maine. The organ was built by George H. Ryder of Boston, opus 139 for a residence. Later it was moved to Broadway Methodist Church Somerville, Massachusetts and a 4' Flute stop was added to the Great. It was removed in 1979 by the Organ Clearing House and has been in storage since then.

For installation in the rear gallery, Andover has designed a new case, with new case pipes, in classic style to harmonize with the colonial architecture of the church. Because of the added stops, the Great and Pedal chests are new.

The original console was retained, refinished, and the stop jambs were rebushed. The key beds of the manual keyboards were rebushed, new center pins were installed as necessary, and the keytails and intermanual couplers were releathered.

A new table of voidless plywood was installed in the Swell chest and one stop added. The sliders were reshimmed, sponcil areas were re-covered, and the bungboard releathered. Toeboard warpage was eliminated and the pallets re-covered. Toeholes were enlarged as necessary for proper winding, and the rackboards repaired. The new Great chest included three additional stops.

A new 42-note mechanically duplexed pedal chest and a pedalboard of 30 notes were built, with a new pedal key action including 3 added coupler notes.

The metal pipes were cleaned and repaired, retaining the cone tuning. The wood pipes were cleaned, with stoppers releathered and greased.

The reservoir was releathered as a double fold and a new blower provided.