Pipe Organ Database

The organ's original winding mechanism is still working, or can be bypassed with an electric blower. The manual winding can be operated by the organist's right foot or by an assistant pumping a lever on the right side of the case.

The left foot-lever partially retires the Principal stop-knob (enough to close the slider). This stop is spring-loaded such that when the lever is released the stop comes on again. To fully retire the stop, the organist must push the stopknob in and latch it down slightly, then lift up slightly to bring it back on. The other three knobs push in and out normally.

The 6 facade pipes are dummies. The bass of the Stop'd Diapason is at the very back of the case. The Treble Dulciana is immediately in front, followed by the treble of the Stop'd Diapason. The bass pipes of the Stop'd Diapason are wood, switching to metal around Middle C. The metal Stop's Diapason pipes appear to have chimneys. The Principal is at the front of the windchest, nearest the organist. Its lowest 4 pipes are stopped wood, the rest are metal. The open pipes are all cone-tuned, as can be seen from the photograph. Pipes are laid out chromatically, left-to-right.

I checked the tuning on a Tuesday afternoon in mid-August, where the temperature in the church was 81°F according to the thermostat on the wall near the organ. 'A' was approximately 432 Hz, which varied a few Hz depending on the rank, which would of course decrease a few Hz as the temperature drops. Still markedly below modern pitch standard. I could not ascertain a temperament as the purity of fifths varied depended on the rank and the octave. I did not detect a 'wolf' interval indicating relatively equal temperament, despite being slightly out-of-tune with itself.

The organ is still in good condition and is in use several times a year at various services. This church functions as a chapel-of-ease for Holy Trinity Episcopal in Clemson. The cemetery holds the graves of Thomas Greene Clemson and his wife Anna Maria Calhoun, daughter of US Vice-President John C. Calhoun, as well as that of Mrs. Floride Calhoun, Calhoun's wife.

Mrs. Calhoun helped raise the funds for the purchase of the instrument, as described on the Church's website: "The present organ was purchased in 1848 by popular subscription ($300.00). Prior to the installation, Dr. Thomas Dart “raised the tunes.” Mrs. John C. Calhoun was active in raising the funds because she complained that Dr. Dart “failed to carry the tune” and because of the “hissing sound he made.”

The organ is typically used for an occasional Choral Evensong, Christmas Eve, and Whitsunday services, as well as weddings and funerals held at the church.

Status Note: There 1985.

Restored Farmer 1985. Stoplist in Richmond.