Historical
Background
The
organ was originally built in 1904 by the Los Angeles Art Organ Co.,
under the direction of Murray M. Harris, for Holy Cross Catholic Church
in San Francisco. While still nearly new, the organ was severely damaged
in the 1906 earthquake. The north bell tower of the church actually
collapsed in on the building, crushing the Great and Choir divisions.
Repairs were carried out immediately by a local firm using pipes, new
windchests, and other parts supplied by the original builder. Much of
the repair work was not of the original quality, but the organ nevertheless
remained in service for many years. By the 1980's, the organ was in
serious need of a complete restoration. The earthquake of 1989 forced
the closure of the parish, and the organ remained orphaned in the condemned
building. In 1995, the Archdioscese of Portland acquired the instrument,
with the intent of installing it in St. Mary's Cathedral.
A
Careful Removal
The
restoration of the organ was part of a complete renovation of St. Mary's
Cathedral, celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding. The first
phase of the organ project involved disassembly and removal of the instrument
at Holy Cross, perched high on the rear balcony with a narrow, winding
staircase its only access. Most of the internal parts were carried down
the staircase by hand, and the casework and facade lowered by hand over
the balcony. This method would be impossible, however, for lowering
the windchests and largest 16' open wood pipes. To this end, a crane
was erected outside, and a hole was broken in the roof just large enough
to allow the crane hook to pass into the building. Each of the organ's
largest components was roped to the crane and lowered down to the main
floor of the church
.Restoration
Once
safely in Portland, a thorough cleaning was necessary for every component
of the instrument. Having been blackened by many year's accumulation
of dust and soot (up to 1/4"), every part was restored as much as possible
to original condition. This process included the seemingly endless task
of releathering. Leather was in need of complete replacement in all
windchests, all parts of the electro-pneumatic action, winding system,
and wood pipes. In consideration of the organ's historical value, all
parts of the original patented electro-pneumatic action were retained
and meticulously adjusted. All the pipes were cleaned and revoiced for
the new room. Damaged pipes were repaired, and missing pipes replaced.
The finish on the case and console was cleaned and restored. The stenciling
on the facade pipes was copied, the pipes stripped and new paint applied
using the original design. The color scheme and the Victorian style
of the organ facade proved to be an ideal match for the architecture
of the newly restored Cathedral.
Tasteful
Addtions
The
instrument has now been crowned by four additional stops, carried out
by Bond after very careful study of other instruments built by Murray
Harris. These stops allow for performance of a broader range of organ
literature, and are consistent in style and tone with stops that would
have been built in 1904.
