Josiah Leavitt
1794

Prior to 1835, the only musical instrument used In the Unitarian building was a bass viol which cost $25. In May, 1835, The First Church (Unitarian) purchased an organ from an organbuilder In Newburyport, Massachusetts; unfortunately, the schooner "New Packet" carrying it went ashore near the mouth of Penobscot Bay and became a total loss with all its cargo. For many years, some organ historians thought the organ might have been built by Joseph Alley, but recent research has revealed that it was a one manual, eight-rank Instrument built in Boston by Josiah Leavitt, M.D. In 1794, for the First Religious Society in Newburyport, and rebuilt by Newburyport organbuilder Richard P. Morss In 1834 for the Belfast church. As the organ was not to have been paid for until it was delivered, the church, unlike the builder, suffered no financial loss, and immediately ordered a replacement, this lime from Henry Erben of New York. It appears that they also made a present of $1,100 to Richard Morss In July of 1835, in acknowledgement of his loss. -- 1992 OHS Handbook