SAINT LUKE MINISTRIES
Saint Luke Organ
The First Organ
The organ at Saint Luke dates back to the dedication of the first church in 1884. The instrument was simple but adequate to support the needs of the growing congregation.
During the record cold of January 1899, the furnace malfunctioned and fire swept through the building, destroying the organ along with the rest of the sanctuary. The organ was rebuilt as arrangements were made for a suitable replacement.
The Kilgen Organ
The rebuilt organ was replaced in 1903 with the Kilgen organ. This instrument was cleaned, revoiced and refurbished and served the congregation until the old church was razed to make way for the present building.
The Present Organ
In early 1958, The Church of Saint Luke requested a proposal from the Schlicker Organ Company of Buffalo, NY to build a pipe organ that would be included in its new church building. In December of 1959, the church contracted with the company to build the Gallery and Antiphonal organs with 59 ranks. The organ arrived for installation in November 1962, and eight ranks of pipes from the church's 1903 Kilgen Organ were included in the new instrument. In January 1963, the dedication recital was played by Paul Manz.
In 1990-1991, the combination and crescendo actions were replaced with a solid-state system.
In 1994 much of the instrument was re-leathered, the Positiv manual was moved to its current location on the front of the choir gallery (now becoming a Ruckpositiv), tremulants were rebuilt, and 32' electronic extensions were added to two stops in the pedal division.
In 1997, a digital electronic relay was installed, allowing both the Gallery and Antiphonal Organs to be played by either organ console. Likewise a Midi playback system was added and the organ's rectifiers were replaced.
In 2000, a complete cleaning of the instrument was undertaken, a new swell-box motor was built, and a new pedal board was installed.