|
Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center- 2/9 Wurlitzer
Wenatchee, Washington
127 S. Mission St.
Driving Directions
Back to the Northwest Public Theatre Organ Installations page
Museum stage showing piano, pipe chambers and Wurlitzer console
|
The museum is on the site of the old Post Office. The Wurlitzer organ was originally
from the Wenatchee Liberty Theatre.
Presently a 2/9, the instrument was rebuilt by Balcom & Vaughan, refinished and restored.
A "Save the Pipe Organ" drive in Wenatchee solicited public contributions to offset the
over $60,000 cost of its total rebuild and installation. |
The instrument was maintained for many years in its original setting at the Liberty
Theatre by the late Dave Gellatly. Dave and his wife Brownie offered the instrument
to the museum shortly before he died.
The museum has concert seating for 175.
Main chamber |
Solo chamber |
The ranks are as follows:
Tibia, Flute, String, String Celeste, Vox Humana, Tuba,
Diapason, Clarinet & Kinura.
The museum focuses on North Central Washington history, including agricultural
exhibits, it is also home to the Quadrium Performance Center, in which is installed the
famous old Wenatchee Liberty Wurlitzer.
The organ is currently maintained in excellent shape by Bill Starkey of Wenatchee. He and Herb Sinclair have recently installed an automated player system.
Two-manual Wurlitzer console. George Perks photo, 1998
Visit the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center's web page:
http://www.wenatcheevalleymuseum.org
The following comments are from PSTOS member Dave Schutt via the PIPORG-L Internet
mailing list:
"They have installed the 1918 Wurlitzer that was in the Liberty Theater in Wenatchee. (Note: this information disagrees somewhat from the information in Judd Walton's listing.) According to Bill Starkey, who takes care of the organ, it started life as a 2-7: Tuba (to 16'), Diapason, Clarinet, Vox, Flute, VDO and Viol Celeste. All in one chamber with the bittiest and bitiest (neither word in my spell checker :-) strings *YOU EVER HEARD*. Notice there was no Tibia. Sometime later, Sandy Balcom added a Tibia Clausa and a Kinura (cut off Wurlitzer Vox Humana) on a *ventil* chest. These ranks, along with the Tuba which was also moved onto the ventil chest, were installed on the other side of the theater. In its museum installation, a harp has been added to the organ. A Trumpet is also in the process of installation."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer January 30, 1989. Russ Evans collection. Click for a larger version.
|
