Pipe Organ Database

a project of the organ historical society

A. B. Felgemaker Co. (Opus 521, 1888)

Location:

First United Methodist Church
West Second Street
Xenia, OH 45385 US
Organ ID: 6737

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Status and Condition:

  • This instrument's location type is: Methodist Churches
  • The organ is no longer extant; destroyed.
  • The organ's condition is not playable.
We received the most recent update for this instrument's status from Paul R. Marchesano on May 26, 2022.

Technical Details:

  • Chests: Slider
  • 2 manuals.
All:
  • Chest Type(s): Slider chests
We received the most recent update for this division from Database Manager on May 13, 2018.
Main:
  • Manuals: 2
  • Key Action: Mechanical connection from key to chest (tracker, sticker or mix).
We received the most recent update for this console from Database Manager on May 13, 2018.
Database Manager on July 16, 2017:

Updated by J. A. Hefner, listing conversations with this person as the source of the information: Catherine Wilson (Greene County Historical Society).

According to Catherine Wilson of Greene County Historical Society, First Methodist was a casualty of the 1974 tornado; the original brick church was built ca. 1845-46, expanded and remodeled in 1864, then the stone church was built in 1895 and remodeled in 1950.
It isn't clear if the organ was still there by that point. John Sale Manor (apartments) occupies that spot today.

We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on April 09, 2020.
Database Manager on June 24, 2017:

Updated by J. A. Hefner, listing this website as a source of information: http://www.fcum.org/632676.
According to the successor church's history, the two Xenia Methodist churches merged in 1970, moving into a new building in 1972. I have yet to find out how this organ was destroyed; perhaps First Methodist was destroyed in the 1974 tornado?

We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on April 09, 2020.

Instrument Images:

Church Interior and Organ Facade: Scanned Postcard by William Dunklin. Taken on 1930-06-01

Church Exterior: Vintage Postcard, courtesy of J. A. Hefner (ca. 1911).

Organ Case: Vintage postcard, courtesy of J. A. Hefner (ca. 1913).

Newspaper article detailing new [extant] church received First Methodist organ: Newspaper article detailing church consolidation and fate of 1st Methodist organ before the tornado, courtesy of J. A. Hefner. Taken on 1972-05-19