Colonial Theatre - 2/10 Wurlitzer, Style 210 Special
Seattle, Washington
1515 4th Ave at Pike
Organ installation timeframes:
1st organ, Kimball: 1914-1916
2nd organ, Wurlitzer: 1918-1931
 
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The Colonial Theatre building, c. 1931
 

The Colonial Theatre had two theatre organs:   The first organ was a 3/27 tubular pneumatic Kimball with echo division installed in 1914. According to Eugene Nye, this organ was moved in 1916 to the Swedish Tabernacle (later named the First Mission Convenant Church) in Seattle. The organ was rebuilt in 1947. In 1960, Balcom & Vaughan electrified the chests and enlarged it to 33 ranks. Current status is unknown.   The second organ was a 2/10 Wurlitzer, installed in 1918. After its stint in the theatre, the organ was moved in 1931 to Radio Station KOL. It was later sold in 1960 to Don Myers and broken up for parts.   <---------- This ad for the famous Jesse Crawford appeared in the Seattle Times, October 29, 1914.

 
Information about the Wurlitzer instrument is sketchy. It is not found in the Walton Wurlitzer opus lists. A brief reference to the organ was found in a small hand-written notebook kept by Wurlitzer employee W. Meakin Jones. According to a notebook entry, a Tibia Clausa was either shipped from the factory or installed on October 25-26, 1918.
 

Street scene with a glimpse of the Colonial Theatre on left, c.1919
 

Colonial Theatre on left, date unknown
 

Colonial Theatre on left, c.1942
 

Console of the Kimball in First Convenant Church (shown after 1947 Balcom & Vaughan rebuild).
 

Pipes marked "SEATTLE PEDAL Open Diapason" Low 16' CCC is shown here.
 
The large scale 16' Wood Open Diapasons from the Kimball were eventually acquired by Bill Charles of Bellingham, WA. The pipes were later sold to Warren Dopps of Anacortes.
 

Colonial Theatre program c.1913. Louis Diamond at the console.
 

4th Ave, looking South, c.1960's