David Storey on February 20th, 2025:
This church is known as St. James Episcopal not Ascension Church.
Database Manager on October 17th, 2016:
This entry describes an original installation of a new pipe organ.
Identified by Steve Bartley, using information found in Sun Paper 8/10/1900 pg 7, personal knowledge.
<br>The Ascension congregation moved to a new building in the late 1860s, leaving their old downtown location for the new and more fashionable suburbs. Their first organ, in the new location was a 2 manual instrument by Pomplitz, which lasted only a few years as the church suffered a devastating fire, as a result of the sexton trying to eradicate a nest of bees behind the organ with an open flame. <br>The rebuilt church, 1875, also had a similar Pomplitz organ. <br>In 1900 the Sun paper announced the new Stein organ, which was larger than the Pomplitz, The Stein instrument contained 11 Great stops (793 pipes); 11 Swell stops, 781 pipes, and 3 pedal stop, (90 pipes) The Pedal was 30 notes and manuals 61 notes. Also 4 couplers, three mechanical accessories, and 9 pedal movements. It was powered by a water motor.<br>In the 1930's the Ascension congregation sold the building to the St. James Episcopal congregation, the present owners.<br>Sometime in the early 20th century the organ was fitted with EP pull down actions, and a detached console.<br>In the 1980s Mudler Hunter Organ Co, of Philadelphia, was hired to "modernize" the tonal specification, Several new mixtures and Germanic reeds supplanted the Stein pipes.<br>The organ is installed in an alcove at the right of the Chancel, and is regular use, though not in very good operating condition. The new ranks are very difficult to access