Los Altos United Methodist Church

Los Altos, CA (USA)

This is a first for HW — a historic American organ from the mid-1800s. It can be ordered from Evensong.

Built by William B. D. Simmons, Boston in 1852, this organ was shipped around Cape Horn to Howard Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. It is one of the few organs that survived the 1906 earthquake and fire that ravaged the city.

In 1976, the instrument was purchased by the Los Altos United Methodist Church. In 1977-78 it was removed and rebuilt with additions by Manuel Rosales and Associates. In 1993, George Bozeman Organ Builders added several prepared pedal stops.

The Keyboard action is entirely mechanical. There are two levers to engage the four Great upperwork stops and operate the Swell expression shutters. The stop knobs are engraved without pitches as it was norm in the early 19th century in America.

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