Pipe Organ Database

From Builders editor, Stephen Hall, October 13, 2015. -

J.H. & C.S. Odell was/is a single family-owned entity from 1859 to the present. Various family members served as operating owners/partners at different points over the decades.

• 1859 to roughly 1900: John-Henry Odell and Caleb Sherwood Odell ( great-great grandfather of present owner, Edward Odell)
• 1900 to postwar 1944 Lewis C. Odell, George Washington Odell, Caleb Herbert Odell (owner's grandfather)
• 1944 to 1978: Caleb H. Odell-s sons, William H. Odell and Harry E. Odell (owner's father)
• 1978: William's death. Company reorganized as a corporation and shares allocated among family members. Officers established: Jerrold Hopkin acted as President, with Harry Odell managing day-to-day operations as Director.
• 1978 to 1982: Firm primarily doing service work,
• 1982: Other heirs cede their interests to Harry Odell who becomes sole owner; Corporation disolved, Harry retains company title, remaining assets sold.
• 1982 to 1992: Harry Odell operates as two-man service firm.
• 1992: Edward Odell becomes head of firm, re-registers with the County of Westchester, New York under the original name as "J.H. & C.S. Odell"
• 1995: Edward Odell moves to Connecticut to work with Austin Organs, keeps the company active as a part-time concern
• 1998: Harry Odell's death. Edward establishes J.H. & C.S. Odell as an LLC in Connecticut with himself as the sole member/owner.
• 2002: Edward Odell leaves Austin to operate Odell firm full time, continues some contract work for Austin

"The first new Odell organ project executed was for St. Mark-s Lutheran Church in Glastonbury in 2003, which was relocation, additions and revoicing of a two manual instrument as Odell opus 642. The firm is shifting towards building entirely new organs, though they routinely handle restoration work. The firm is now building almost entirely from raw materials; we do all our own millwork, cast pipe metal, and make our own pipes. We switched over to doing primarily slider chests in 2010, and are also branching out into new mechanical action. though at present the majority of the work is electric action. We were invited and joined APOBA in 2012."

Edward Odell

Source: An email from Edward Odell to the editor, received October 13, 2015. [edited with some material omitted] We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on February 11, 2019.