Austin Organs Explained

Austin Organs, Inc.
Industry:pipe organs
Predecessors:-->
Successors:-->
Founded:1898
Founder:John T. Austin
Hq Location City:Hartford,CT
Hq Location Country:USA
Key People:Michael B. Fazio (President),
Richard G. Taylor (CEO)
Owner:private partnership
Website:austinorgans.com

Austin Organs, Inc., is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Hartford, Connecticut. The company is one of the oldest continuously-operating organ manufacturers in the United States.[1] The first instruments were built in 1893 with the Austin Patent Airchest, and many remain in fine playing condition to this day.

The Austin Organ Company was formally organized in 1898 by John Turnell Austin in Boston, Massachusetts, although it traces its beginning to 1893 with the first instruments Austin built at the Clough & Warren Company in Detroit, Michigan. In 1899 the company moved to Hartford.[2]

Austin was from England and had come to the United States in 1889. Austin's father Jonathan had a hobby of organ building. When son John made his way to Detroit he found work at the Farrand & Votey Organ Company. While servicing organs for Farrand, Austin worked with tracker and slider chests and some of the nascent electric mechanisms. He developed what would be named the "Universal Air Chest System". This is an airtight chamber with the chest action on the ceiling of the chamber. A feature of this system was that the chest could be entered from below while the organ was turned on; this allowed for servicing of the organ keying action. The modern (current) chest design was further developed in 1913, and has been refined over the years. In 1905 the company began building electric consoles; these have also been refined over the years.The Austin Organ Company reached its peak in the 1920s when it was delivering more than 80 instruments each year. In the Depression years the company struggled with high overhead, decreased new business, and cash flow. By 1935 the company announced that it would close after fulfilling existing contracts, with its last instrument as Opus 1885.[3] The company vacated its factory building, sold some assets and put others into storage.

In February 1937 the nephew of the company founder and a long-term employee purchased what remained of the company and formed "Austin Organs, Inc." They re-established the factory in Hartford although in more modest facilities that were adjacent to their old plant. The first instrument produced by the re-organized company was given Opus 2000. During the Second World War, the company contributed to the war effort by constructing gliders. As of 2020 the company still builds instruments at the same four-story edifice located at 156 Woodland Street.

In March 2005 the company closed when annual revenue fell below $150K per year after a payment dispute regarding an installation. Weeks later a business partnership was formed by the owner of an organ service and repair company and a long-time Austin employee. They purchased the company, restructured its operations, and recalled several company veterans.[4] As of 2019 Austin was building eight new instruments per year.[1] Over 2600 organs have been built with the Austin nameplate.

Selected installations

Lost instruments

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Waldman . Loretta . 17 April 2019 . Austin Organs: Preeminent Maker Of Pipe Organs Echoes Through Time . Hartford Courant . Hartford, CT . 9 July 2020 .
  2. Web site: Austin Organs Milestones . Fazio . Michael Brian . 16 January 2007 . Diapason . 2 September 2020.
  3. Web site: Austin Opus List. Austin Organs, Inc.. 3 September 2020.
  4. Web site: Pulling Out the Stops at Hartford's Austin Organs . Gelber . Mack . 16 September 2014. AOL Finance . 29 July 2020.
  5. Web site: Austin Organ ID: 13504 . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 13 July 2022.
  6. Web site: Important Dates in Park Road Baptist Church History . 11 August 2020.
  7. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 25, 1890s) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 11 August 2020.
  8. Web site: Historical Summary of Opus List . 11 August 2020.
  9. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 167). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 21 July 2020.
  10. Web site: Austin Organs Opus No. 265 . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 21 July 2020.
  11. Web site: The Lodge Level – the Regency Center . 5 June 2009 . 21 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090705111428/http://www.regencycentersf.com/lodge.html. 5 July 2009.
  12. Web site: The Lodge at the Regency Center . The Regency Ballroom. AEG Presents. 21 July 2020.
  13. Web site: Houlihan-McLean Center . 1 August 2020.
  14. Web site: Portfolio – University of Scranton . 1 August 2020.
  15. Web site: Kotzschmar Organ – The History . 1 August 2020.
  16. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 453). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 2 August 2020.
  17. Web site: Lyle Blackinton & Associates, Inc. (1993) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 2 August 2020.
  18. Web site: Spreckels Organ Pavilion . Balboa Park. 2 August 2020.
  19. Web site: Pulling Out All the Stops to Save a 40-Ton, 100-Year-Old World's Fair Pipe Organ . Marks . Ben . 17 January 2014 . Collectors weekly . 2 August 2020.
  20. Web site: Organs for Sale - 3141, Austin, San Francisco . Organ Clearing House . 6 July 2023.
  21. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 591, 1915)). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 3 August 2020.
  22. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 681, 1915)). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 13 July 2023.
  23. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 770, 1917). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 3 August 2020.
  24. Web site: Brian Larson (Pipe Organ Co., Inc)). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 3 August 2020.
  25. Web site: Special Church Events. Demuth . Gary . 6 April 2018 . Salina Journal . 3 August 2020.
  26. Web site: Trinity United Methodist Church. KCAGO Area Organs . Greater Kansas City Chapter, American Guild of Organists . 5 August 2020.
  27. News: The San Francisco Chapter of the American Guild of Organists . Paul W. Motter . September 2003 . Remembering Wallace Sabin . 5 August 2020 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20111007225545/http://www.sfago.org/SFAGO-09-2003.pdf . 2011-10-07 .
  28. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 913). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 5 August 2020.
  29. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 1028, 1920s) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 29 July 2020.
  30. Web site: History of the LC Pipe Organ . Stoess . Rita . Spokane Public Schools . Lewis & Clark High School . September 1, 2020.
  31. Web site: Auditorium Organ History. City of Chattanooga. 29 July 2012.
  32. Web site: St. Matthew Lutheran Church-About the organ . 7 July 2020.
  33. Web site: Austin Organs Opus 1215 . 7 July 2020.
  34. Web site: St. Florian's Church. Detroit1701.org. September 2002. 2011-05-05.
  35. Web site: Drexel Student Life – Traditions . 2 August 2020.
  36. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 1548, 1928) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 15 August 2024.
  37. Web site: Church of the Holy Trinity (Inwood) . NYC Organ Project List . New York City American Guild of Organists. August 3, 2020.
  38. Web site: Organ removed in anticipation of renovation . HolyTrinityInwood.org . Holy Trinity Church Inwood . 15 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926042251/http://holytrinityinwood.org/2019/06/organ-removed-in-anticipation-of-renovation/ . 26 September 2020 . 19 June 2019.
  39. Web site: Holy Trinity Church space rentals - Worship Hall. 15 June 2023.
  40. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 1717, 1930) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 12 August 2020.
  41. Web site: The World's Largest Colonial Style Building. Connecticut Museum Quest. 16 May 2008. 12 August 2020.
  42. Web site: The Quadraplex roll player in action at the Aetna auditorium in Hartford . Austin Organs, Inc. . 9 July 2024 . 7 February 2024.
  43. Web site: St. Patrick's Seminary Chapel . 8 July 2023 . https://archive.today/20140121215650/http://www.stpatricksseminary.org/campus/st-patricks-seminary-chapel.html#selection-565.4-565.9 . 21 January 2014 . unfit.
  44. https://pipeorgandatabase.org/organ/12021 Pipe Organs Database: Austin Organs, Inc., opus 2398 (1964)
  45. Web site: Austin Organs, Opus 2432 . 4 August 2020.
  46. Web site: 3007, Austin, Port Huron, MI . 1 September 2020.
  47. Web site: Austin Organs, Inc. (Opus 2599, 1976). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 4 August 2020.
  48. Web site: Austin Organs, Inc. (Opus 2600, 1977). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 4 August 2020. .
  49. News: Papp . Justin . ‘It’s not the number of pipes:’ Christ Church Greenwich prepares to install new organ custom built in England . 15 June 2023 . GreenwichTime . Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC . 16 July 2021.
  50. Web site: Church of the Good Shepard – The Organ . 1 September 2020.
  51. Web site: Austin Organs, Inc. (Opus 2754). Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 4 August 2020.
  52. Web site: History of the Organs of Saint John’s, West Hartford, CT . Music at the Red Door . St. John's Episcopal Church . 21 July 2020.
  53. Web site: The Austin Pipe Organ Oxford University United Methodist Church. 2021-03-14. en-US.
  54. Web site: Forbidden City Concert Hall . 23 August 2020.
  55. Web site: Instruments of Praise: The Austin Organ and Steinway Piano . 12 November 2020.
  56. Web site: First Baptist Church Washington D.C. . 12 November 2020.
  57. Web site: Opus 2804 The Reformed Church of Bronxville Bronxville, New York . Austin Organs . 14 July 2022.
  58. Web site: Fazio . Michael B. . The Reformed Church of Bronxville, New York, Austin Organs Inc. . The American Organist (July 2023) . American Guild of Organists . 17 March 2024.
  59. Web site: Hotel Astor . NYC Organs List . New York City Chapter, American Guild of Organists . 11 August 2020.
  60. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 252, 1910) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 11 August 2020.
  61. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 309) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 12 August 2020.
  62. Web site: The future of Rochester's past. Fien . Christine Carrie . 5 August 2015 . RochesterCityNewspaper.com . 12 August 2020.
  63. Web site: Historic Austin organ to St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church (April 25, 2015) . 10 August 2020.
  64. News: . City Will Save Organ and Medinah Temple. Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. 23 March 2001. 10 August 2020.
  65. Web site: The restoration of the St. Peter Canisius 1936 Moller Opus 5688 pipe organ to St. Raphael’s. 2 July 2024.
  66. Web site: Austin Organ Co. Opus 558, 1915. 2 July 2024.
  67. Marchesano. Paul R.. Summer 2007. Brief History of the Organs of the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. The Tracker. Villanova, Pennsylvania. Organ Historical Society. 10 August 2020.
  68. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 1010, 1922) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 10 August 2020.
  69. Web site: Muller Pipe Organ Company (1983) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 21 July 2020.
  70. Web site: First Presbyterian Church of Wyandotte to close after 161 years . Rossi . Sharon . 22 September 2017 . News-Herald . 21 July 2020.
  71. Web site: Wyandotte's Kinergy Lifestyle Center combines healthy living and faith-based offerings . Russell . Zach . 19 November 2019 . News-Herald . 21 July 2020.
  72. Web site: Austin Organ Co. (Opus 1019, 1922) . Pipe Organ Database . Organ Historical Society . 27 April 2021.