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Jones Residence - 4/22 Robert Morton - hybrid
Edmonds, Washington
Organ installation timeframe: 1953 -
 Listen to this instrument
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Bob Jones and Eddie Dunstedter with 4/22 console |
Robert "Bob" Jones has been an organ enthusiast since the late 1940's. His residence instrument started out as a three-manual Robert Morton, and ended up as a four-manual, 22 rank instrument which included parts from various manufacturers: Wurlitzer, Kimball & Barton. |
Some parts were from the Walla Walla Liberty Theatre Wurlitzer. According to Eugene Nye's detailed records, the original 3/11 Morton instrument had 783 pipes and 75 stops.
A player piano was later connected to the organ so rolls could be played.
The organ was sold to Roger Henderson who stored the instrument for a number of years. It was
eventually sold again and broken up for parts.
Bob is a very capable organist and during the 1960's joined the Seattle Musician's Union so that he could fill in as relief organist at Seattle's
Rolladium Skating Rink with its 3/10 Wurlitzer.
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Bob was quite knowledgeable about pipe organ mechanics. In 1966, he presented a series of pipe organ technical lectures for interested Puget Sound Chapter members. Topics ranged from theory, mechanics and installation techniques.
Lee Bauscher also participated as a lecturer for the series. |
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The following excerpts are from a note written by Bob to The Console magazine in
June 1983 (V22, No. 5, pp20):
The 3/11 Morton was originally installed in a Flushing, Long Island theatre.
It was acquired in the early 1930's by the YMHA (Young Men's Hebrew Association) in New York City.
They offered it for sale in the Diapason in 1948.
"There were modifications made on the organ while it was at YMHA. A second Vox was added using a
late model Carlsted chest. The Brass (Solo) stuff was on 15-inch pressure including the Kinura.
Also the second touch tabs had been removed, but the wiring remained intact. The organ itself was
built in 1924.
"Carpet beetles had severely attacked the YHMA auditorium, and they ate all the felt out of the console.
Fortunately they did not get into the chambers.
"I purchased the organ in about August 1948 and moved it to Seattle via railroad freight car.
Using the "Immigrant's Rate," I had an entire car and the tarif at that time was $4 per 100 pounds.
It was later moved to my residence in Edmonds, about 13 miles north of Seattle.
"It was fully assembled in 1953 as it had been in YMHA. Then it was rebuilt and modified into a
four-manual, 240-stop key instrument of 22 ranks, becoming a hybrid, using all of the original
Morton stuff plus Wurlitzer, Kimball, Barton and Smith.
"I sold the organ to Gary Henderson of Gig Harbor, Washington in 1974. I understand he has traded
some of the parts for others and has built a new console using the San Francisco Orpheum as a model.
"In my search for the original location, I, too, had written Spencer Turbine Company. All they had
for a description of the theatre was - Ship to dockside of New Theatre. Perhaps someone in the area
could determine what theatres were in Flushing in the 1924-25 era and come up with the answer. We
know the organ was built in 1924, according to the dates stamped on the pipes."
Bob Jones at his 3/10 Robert Morton residence organ
Artist: Bob Jones
Instrument: Bob Jones residence, Edmonds WA. 3/10 Robert Morton
Date: c.1954
Recording: Glenn White, during in an informal gathering
Track 1 Format: MP3 (96Kbps), Size: 1.9MB
Track 2 Format: MP3 (96Kbps), Size: 1.5MB
Track 3 Format: MP3 (96Kbps), Size: 938KB
Track 4 Format: MP3 (96Kbps), Size: 2.6MB
Track 5 Format: MP3 (96Kbps), Size: 2.0MB
Track 6 Format: MP3 (96Kbps), Size: 2.0MB
Track 7 Format: MP3 (96Kbps), Size: 1.5MB
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