McMahon Residence - 3/7 Wurlitzer - Marr & Colton
Seattle, Washington
Organ installation timeframe: 1966-1967
 
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The McMahon residence organ was originally shipped from the Wurlitzer factory in July 1926 as a Style D with player, opus 1432. It never had a theatre home. It was originally sold to and installed in the Fraternal Order of Eagles hall in Dayton, Ohio. Its main cable was eventually cut and the console removed to make more room for bingo tables.
 
The entire organ (less console and relays) was sold by the lodge to the Leonard McMahon family in 1959 for the princely sum of $50.00.
 
In July 1959, the McMahons purchased a 3-manual Marr & Colton console and relays from the Toledo Pipe Organ Company (ex: Grand Theatre, Detroit Michigan) for $325.00.
 
The McMahons totally re-leathered the organ and then the Boeing Co. transferred the family to Seattle, not knowing the family's moving expenses would be ballooned by a pipe organ. The instrument did make it to Seattle and was playing in the McMahon's Queen Anne Hill home by the mid-1960's.
 
Leonard McMahon suffered a fatal automobile accident in 1967. PSTOS sold bonds to its members and purchased the instrument from Mrs. McMahon, removing it from their Queen Anne Hill home. This instrument formed the basis of the PSTOS-owned Haller Lake Community Club organ.
 
Mrs. McMahon had kept the original Wurlitzer purchase receipts and main cable tag and the voicing department tag for the Tibia pipes. These items were presented to the PSTOS archives.
 
A hybrid instrument, the organ consists of a three-manual Marr & Colton console, a Kimball Kinura, plus six ranks of Wurlitzer pipework.