Organ Restoration Project

Organ Restoration Project

"….I have yet to hear another instrument in North America that comes as close to duplicating the massive effect of the Willis organ at the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool, England."
--- Letourneau Organ Company

Thanks for supporting the organ restoration project!

The organ at Capitol Hill United Methodist Church was built in 1939 by one of the most renowned organ builders of the early 20th century.

A tonal masterpiece...

The organ at CHUMC was built in 1939 by Richard O. Whitelegg, one of the most renowned organ builders/designers of the early 20th Century.

The organ is one of the few original Whitelegg organs still in existence that has had few alterations and is considered a true musical treasure and a "tonal masterpiece."

...in need of a historical restoration

The instrument, however, is in need of a historical restoration to prevent irreversible deterioration and preserve the instrument for the future. The restoration will keep the Whitelegg tonal quality in tact and restore its original brilliance.

Learn more

To learn more about the organ, the plans to restore it, and how you can support this important organ restoration project, please read the answers to the Frequently Asked Questions below.

Another great place to learn more about organs and their mechanics is the Young Person's Guide to the Pipe Organ (not just for young people!) posted on the website of the American Guild of Organists.

And finally, if you are really getting into this, check out this 2003 book on pipe organs: All The Stops: The Glorious Pipe Organ and Its American Masters, by Craig R. Whitney.

The organ restoration project will prevent irreversible deterioration and preserve the organ for the future!Support the project
Everyone can support the restoration of this musical treasure; in fact, its restoration will depend on the support of the wider community.

For financial contributions or ideas for supporting activities, please contact the chair of the organ restoration fundraising committee and Capitol Hill UMC's Treasurer, John Thornburg, at treasurerATchumc.net.

Make a donation today to support the restoration of this instrument of historic and musical importance!You can also make a donation online using your credit card or PayPal account:

Thanks for your support!

Organ FAQ

   1. What kind of organ does Capitol Hill UMC have?
   2. How did the church aquire the organ? (The CHUMC building is not as old as the organ!)
   3. Why is it of historic significance?
   4. What is the goal of the organ restoration project?
   5. Why should the organ be restored? Why now?
   6. What is the repair history of the organ?
   7. Who will restore it?
   8. How much will it cost? How will Capitol Hill UMC pay for these repairs?
   9. When will the organ be restored? Can the organ be used while the restoration is ongoing?
  10. How much would it cost to replace the organ?
  11. How can I support the organ restoration?

1. What kind of organ does Capitol Hill UMC have?
The organ at Capitol Hill United Methodist Church is an M.P. Möller Pipe Organ (Opus 6385), which was built in 1939 by that company in Hagerstown, Maryland. It has four Manuals and 53 ranks of pipes. The organ was designed by Clarence Dickenson and built by Richard O. Whitelegg. Whitelegg was one of the most renowned organ builders/designers of the early 20th Century.

Tip: Don't know what a ranks is? Visit the Young Person's Guide to the Pipe Organ on the website of the American Guild of Organists for some crystal clear explanations.

2. How did the church aquire the organ?
(The CHUCM building is not as old as the organ!)
This organ was originally built for and installed in the National Presbyterian Church (NPC). Capitol Hill UMC purchased the organ in 1966, when the NPC moved to its present location on Nebraska Ave. The installation of the organ into the CHUMC church building was completed in 1967.

3. Why is the organ of historic significance?
The organ at CHUMC is one of the few original Whitelegg organs still in existence that has had few alterations. Even though the organ was downsized somewhat in order to fit into a more limited space in the church building, the Whitelegg tonal quality remains in effect. In fact, the organ is considered a "tonal masterpiece."

According to one organ builder who has evaluated the instrument, "With some understatement, … the 1939 Möller at CHUMC is of more than routine interest. the organ has survived the past 66 years with only minor revisions…. The organ's sound in the church ranges from lush to heroic and vividly recalls the organbuilding tradition that produced the organ's designer, Richard O. Whitelegg. *** I have yet to hear another instrument in North America that comes as close to duplicating the massive effect of the Willis organ at the Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool, England."

Also of historical significance is the fact that the famous organist Virgil Fox played the first recital on the instrument after its installation in CHUMC. Fox played a Christmas Recital on December 18, 1967, just prior to his Christmas Eve appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

4. What is the goal of the organ restoration project?
The goal of the project is to make needed repairs to the organ to prevent irreversible deterioration and preserve the instrument for the future, while keeping the Whitelegg tonal quality in tact and restoring its original brilliance.

Restoration Update July 2006:
The contract has been signed and work is scheduled to begin in January 2007. From this point on, the maintenance and care of the organ will be in the hands of David Storey who will do the restorative work as well. Everyone is excited about the project moving forward.

5. Why should the organ be restored? Why now?
An immediate restoration of the organ is needed for various reasons. For starters, the organ restoration will prevent irreversible deterioration and preserve this historic instrument for the future. The restoration will also broaden the range of music that can be played on the organ. Right now, the combination action within the console is not reliable to change the various stops combinations quickly, which limits what can be played. The restoration will also take care of multiple on-going repairs and resolve some tonal issues. The repairs will restore the brilliance and color of tone to the original Whitelegg design.

6. What is the repair history of the organ?
The original maintenance of the instrument was performed by the late Bob Wyant, then with the Newcomer Organ Company. Wyant was the master caretaker of many of Washington's finest organs - including Washington National Cathedral. When Newcomer Company closed, maintenance of the organ was taken over by DiGennaro-Hart Organ Company, with whom Wyant was associated until his recent death. DiGennaro-Hart continues to be the caretaker of the instrument.

Over the years, the organ has needed various repairs. In the 1970s, the wind chests needed releathering. At that time the wind chests were releathered using a synthetic leather called perflex. Perflex was a state of the art synthetic leather, which was believed at the time to be the long-term solution to releathering. Unfortunately, perflex disintegrated over a short time and releathering was again necessary - this time with proper tanned leather. Additional repairs included installation of two generations of solid-state combination action to the console.

7. Who will restore the organ?
After a thorough discussion and consideration of all the issues involved in this project, the Capitol Hill UMC Board of Trustees has decided to ask David Storey to perform the restoration work.

8. How much will it cost? How will CHUMC pay for this?
The repairs to the organ will cost $501,000, which will be paid in several installments while the restoration is ongoing. Earlier fundraising activities by Capitol Hill UMC have already brought together $59,000 for the organ's restoration. A fundraising committee is now working on plans for raising the rest of the needed funds. While the Capitol Hill UMC congreation will support the project through activities and donations, the committee is also looking at outside funding sources and grants. The costs of the repairs are considerable, but building a new, comparable organ would cost upwards of $2,000,000...

9. When will the organ be restored? Can the organ be used while the restoration is ongoing?
The restoration work is scheduled to start in early 2007 and be completed in June 2008. Mr. Storey will work on one division of the organ at a time, leaving most of the organ playable at all times. Each division takes 6-8 weeks to complete. When switching and console work is performed, the organ will be out of service for approximately 6 weeks. No work will be performed between October 15, 2007 and January 1, 2008.

10. How much would it cost to replace the organ?
To build a new, comparable organ would cost upwards of $2,000,000.

11. How can I support the organ restoration?
The restoration of the organ will depend on the support of a wide community. For financial contributions or ideas for supporting activities, please contact the chair of the organ restoration fundraising committee and CHUMC's Treasurer, John Thornburg, at treasurer@chumc.net. You can also make a donation online using your credit card or PayPal account. Thanks for your support!