Johnson & Son, Opus 577, 1882
Westminster Preservation Trust

Baltimore, Maryland
Andover Organ Company, Restored, 1991

The Johnson & Son organ was installed in Westminster Presbyterian Church in 1882 for their new building. The former building and Johnson's Opus 187 having burned. The church counted many famous people among its members. Edgar Allen Poe is buried in the church yard.

The organ was electrified in the 1930's by Baltimore builder William Bardroff & Son. The original console, stop and key action were destroyed and a new electric console was placed at a distance from the organ. The church closed its doors in 1977 and that same year, the Westminster Preservation Trust was formed to save the building. In 1980, the Andover Organ Company was asked to evaluate the organ to determine if it was to be saved or thrown out. Except for the electrification and the painting over of the once stenciled case pipes, the organ was intact, although it was unplayable and the pipes desperately needed restoration. The decision was made to place the organ in storage and Andover removed it to Methuen. The building was rebuilt to be a lecture and concert hall as a part of the University of Maryland and can be rented for private functions. In 1984, with the help of the Chesapeake Chapter of the AGO and the Organ Historical Society and others, a contract was signed with Andover. Work began in 1991 and the organ was delivered to the building in the fall of that year. In restoring the organ, Andover painstakingly copied existing Johnson organs of the same period. The ash case was refinished to its original color and new panels were fashioned to replace ones that had been destroyed by wiring and lighting. The case pipes were carefully restored to their original stenciling and colors by Marylou Davis, Inc. Two concessions were made to make the organ meet the needs of Westminster Hall. They were increasing the Pedal to 30 notes, but retaining a flat Pedalboard and repitching the organ to A=440 to allow it to be played with other instruments. The original voicing was retained.