BRATTLEBORO — Every once in a while, an opportunity comes along which cannot be passed up.
Such was the case when Phil Stimmel, Managing Director of the Estey Organ Museum in Brattleboro, received an email from Jim Krekel, a teacher in eastern Iowa. Some friends of his had an Estey reed organ, which had been in their home for many years. They had no use for it, and wondered if he could find a home for it, or perhaps arrange to take it to the dump.
Upon seeing the organ, Krekel saw that the case was in perfect condition, and felt that there must be some place where the organ could be preserved. Hence, the email to the Estey Organ Museum.
Photographs and phone messages followed between Krekel, Stimmel, and the owners of the organ, Eric and Mary Beth Murrell.
It turned out that this instrument was a nearly perfectly preserved Estey Grand Salon reed organ from about 1882. This particular model was featured for many years on the cover of the Estey catalogs, and has a distinctive top unlike any other organ models made by Estey.
Now, the Estey Organ Museum already had an Estey Grand Salon organ, the 100,000th instrument, built in 1880. This organ is a very important part of the Museum's collection. Unfortunately, however, it is missing its iconic top, the case is in only fair condition, and the mechanical parts are in need of a thorough restoration.
Getting this new organ would be a coup for the museum, but the next problem was finding a way to transport it from Iowa to Vermont.
In the end, Stimmel found that it would be cheaper to have a professional piano moving company bring the organ to Brattleboro. A funding source was located, and on Sept. 25, the organ arrived on Birge Street.
Although the museum is now closed for the winter, be sure to stop by next spring to view this important part of Brattleboro's history.