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The first organ was brought to Wichita County by covered wagon in 1880. It was a sixth birthday present by J. H. Barwise for his daughter, Lula, who would become Mrs. A. H. Carrigan. It is now stored in the First Presbyterian Church of Wichita Falls. No records about the earliest organs in our church exist, but we believe that a small reed organ or other portable organ was used for church services until 1914, when the first pipe organ was installed in the second church building. However, the streetcars that passed the church affected the power for this new electric pipe organ. Because both used electric power from wires above the middle of the street, when a car rounded the corner at Tenth Street, the organ's power would die out, sometimes in the middle of a solo or anthem or during a hymn. The power would return as soon as the streetcar had passed the corner. As a result, someone, usually a young man, had to be available at every service to pump the organ manually if necessary. The problem was probably solved when the new pipe organ, donated by J. M. Dodson, was installed in September of 1919.
In February of 1928, the Reuter Organ Company of Lawrence, Kansas, completed the installation of a new organ in the third (current) church building. It had about 52 ranks of pipes and a 4-manual console and was installed in four large chambers across the west side of the Sanctuary with the Echo division placed in the Balcony. It was the largest organ in the state of Texas. In the same year, chimes were installed by J. C. Deagan of Chicago, Illinois, for $10,000, and first heard on May 20, 1928. There are fifteen tubular bells. The Reuter organ was donated by the Hamilton, Martin, Perkins, and Snider families, and the Deagan chimes (tower bells) were donated by the Perkins family.
In January of 1952, the church, with a great effort by Nita Akin, began raising money for an organ renovation. In 1953, the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company of Boston, Massachusetts, began to rebuild the Reuter organ, utilizing some of the old Reuter main windchests, the old Reuter pedal stops and offset chests, and some of the old pipes. It was designed by G. Donald Harrison, president of Aeolian-Skinner, and installed by T. J. and Jimmy Williams of New Orleans. Roy Perry of Kilgore, Texas, representative of Aeolian-Skinner, installed the new console. This renovation was completed in 1954. The Echo division was retained, but the rest of the old organ chambers and pipes were moved into the chancel area, with the Swell and Choir divisions placed on the east side, and the Great, Solo, String, and Pedal division on the west side of the chancel. The old organ chambers were closed off, and new stained glass windows were installed to replace the old organ grills. (The space used for the old organ chambers would become our Heritage Room in 1975.) The cost of this project was $50,257; $5,000 was taken from the budget, and 53 different people gave the rest. The organ was valued at $100,000 when completed. This 81-rank organ had 5,242 organ pipes with a beautiful 4-maunal Aeolian-Skinner organ console. On February 20, 1955, Nita Akin gave the dedication concert.
In 1985, a Capital Funds Drive for the organ remodeling began. In January of 1986, the Range Organ Company of Mesquite, Texas, replaced the Reuter main windchests with new ones built by the Colby Company of Tennessee. The new solid state system was installed. The work was completed in September of 1986. On November 2, 1986, Casey Cantwell gave the rededication recital, following the special worship service. Meanwhile, in July of 1985, the Verdin Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, installed the new electric keyboard for the Deagan chimes.
In June of 2002, a major organ renovation began, the largest organ project since 1954. Dan Garland Pipe Organ Company of Fort Worth worked on the overall project. A new 4-manual organ console was built by Robert Turner of California. Dr. George Baker of Dallas was our organ consultant. Facade pipes were built on both sides in the chancel area to add more elegance and beauty in the sanctuary. A new air-heating system was installed in order to stabilize the temperature in the organ loft area. The entire ceiling was also replaced to improve the acoustics in the sanctuary during the summer of 2002. The new organ was completed in September of 2003. Dr. George Baker gave the dedication organ concert on Friday, September 19, 7:00 p.m.
| GREAT (Manual I) (16 Ranks, 1,108 Pipes) | CHOIR
(Manual II-Expressive) (24 Ranks, 1,482 Pipes) |
||
| 32 | Montre (Walker Digital 1-12) | 16 | Bourdon |
| 32 | Grand Bourdon (Walker Digital 1-12) | 16 | Quintaton |
| 16 | Montre | 8 | Principal |
| 16 | Flûte Ouverte | 8 | Cor de Nuit (from Bourdon 16) |
| 16 | Bourdon | 8 | Salicional |
| 8 | Principal | 8 | Unda Maris |
| 8 | Octave (from Pedal) | 8 | Dulciana |
| 8 | Montre (from Montre 16) | 8 | Dulciana Céleste |
| 8 | Diapason (from Bombarde) | 8 | Voix des Anges II |
| 8 | Flûte Harmonique | 4 | Prestant |
| 8 | Flûte Ouverte (from Flûte Ouverte 16) | 4 | Flûte |
| 8 | Flûte à Cheminée (from Bourdon 16) | 2 2/3 | Nazard |
| 8 | Bourdon | 2 | Doublette |
| 5 1/3 | Grand Nazard | 2 | Quarte de Nazard |
| 4 | Prestant | 1 3/5 | Tierce |
| 4 | Octave (from Montre 16) | 1 1/3 | Larigot (from Nazard 2 2/3) |
| 4 | Flûte Ouverte (from Flûte Ouverte 16) | 1 1/7 | Septième |
| 4 | Flûte Octaviante (from Flûte Hamonique 8) | 1 | Flageolet (from Quarte de Nazard 2) |
| 3 1/5 | Grande Tierce | 1 1/3 | Mixture IV |
| 2 2/3 | Quinte | 16 | Basson-Cor Anglais |
| 2 2/3 | Nazard (from Grand Nazard 5 1/3) | 8 | Cromorne |
| 2 | Doublette | 8 | Cor Anglais (from Basson-Cor Anglais 16) |
| 2 | Quarte de Nazard (from Flûte Ouverte 16) | 8 | Clarinette (from Swell) |
| 1 3/5 | Tierce (from Grande Tierce 3 1/5) | 8 | Tuba (from Bombarde) |
| 1 1/3 | Fourniture IV | 16 | Bombarde Harmonique |
| 16 | Bombarde | 8 | Trompette Harmonique (from Bombarde Harmonique 16) |
| 8 | Trompette (from Bombarde 16) | 4 | Clairon Harmonique (from Bombarde Harmonique 16) |
| 4 | Clairon (from Bombarde 16) | Chimes (from Great) | |
| Chimes (Walker Digital) | Harp (from Great) | ||
| Harp (Walker Digital) | Tremulant | ||
| Cymbelstern (Walker Digital) | Choir to Choir 16 | ||
| All Swells to Swell | Choir Unison Off | ||
| Tremulant | Choir to Choir 4 | ||
| Great to Great 16 | |||
| Great Unison Off | BOMBARDE (Manual IV-Expressive) (8 Ranks, 524 Pipes) | ||
| Great to Great 4 | 16 | Flûte Ouverte (from Great) | |
| 8 | Diapason | ||
| SWELL (Manual III-Expressive) (21 Ranks, 1,334 Pipes) | 8 | Flûte Harmonique (from Great) | |
| 16 | Bourdon | 4 | Octave Diapason (from Diapason 8) |
| 8 | Principal | 4 | Flûte Octaviante (from Great) |
| 8 | Flûte Traversière | 2 2/3 | Grande Mixture VI |
| 8 | Bourdon (from Bourdon 16) | 16 | Tuba Magna |
| 8 | Viole de Gambe | 8 | Tuba Mirabilis (from Tuba Magna 16) |
| 8 | Voix Céleste | 4 | Tuba Clarion (from Tuba Magna 16) |
| 8 | Flûte Douce | 16 | Grande Bombarde (from Pedal) |
| 8 | Flûte Céleste | 8 | Trompette (from Pedal) |
| 4 | Prestant | 4 | Clairon (from Pedal) |
| 4 | Flûte Octaviante | 16 | Bombarde Harmonique (from Choir) |
| 4 | Viole d'Amour (from Viole de Gambe) | 8 | Trompette Harmonique (from Choir) |
| 2 2/3 | Nazard | 4 | Clairon Harmonique (from Choir) |
| 2 | Octavin | ||
| 1 3/5 | Tierce | PEDAL (5 Ranks, 269 Pipes, plus 5 Ranks of Walker Digital) | |
| 1 | Piccolo (from Octavin 2) | 32 | Montre (from Great) |
| 2 | Plein Jeu IV | 32 | Contrebasse (Walker Digital) |
| 16 | Bombarde | 32 | Soubasse (Walker Digital) |
| 8 | Trompette | 32 | Grand Bourdon (from Great) |
| 8 | Deuxième Trompette (from Bombarde 16) | 32 | Flûte Douce (Walker Digital) |
| 8 | Hautbois | 16 | Principal |
| 8 | Clarinette | 16 | Montre (from Great) |
| 8 | Voix Humaine | 16 | Grosse Flûte |
| 4 | Clairon (from Bombarde 16) | 16 | Flûte Ouverte (from Great) |
| Tremulant | 16 | Bourdon | |
| Swell to Swell 16 | 16 | Bourdon (from Choir) | |
| Swell Unison Off | 16 | Bourdon Doux (from Swell) | |
| Swell to Swell 4 | 10 2/3 | Grande Quinte (from Great) | |
| 8 | Octave (from Principal 16) | ||
| COUPLERS (Tilting Tablets) | 8 | Montre (from Great) | |
| Great to Pedal 8 | 8 | Flûte (from Great) | |
| Great to Pedal 4 | 8 | Bourdon (from Bourdon 16) | |
| Choir to Pedal 8 | 8 | Bourdon (from Swell) | |
| Choir to Pedal 4 | 6 2/5 | Grande Tierce (from Great) | |
| Swell to Pedal 8 | 5 1/3 | Grand Nazard (from Great) | |
| Swell to Pedal 4 | 4 | Octave (from Principal 16) | |
| Bombarde to Pedal 8 | 4 | Flûte Ouverte (from Great) | |
| Choir to Great 16 | 4 | Flûte Octaviante (from Great) | |
| Choir to Great 8 | 3 1/5 | Grande Tierce (from Great) | |
| Choir to Great 4 | 64 | Ophicleide Héroïque | |
| Swell to Great 16 | 32 | Contre Ophicleide (from Ophicleide Héroïque 64) | |
| Swell to Great 8 | 32 | Contre Bombarde (Walker Digital) | |
| Swell to Great 4 | 32 | Contre Basson (Walker Digital) | |
| Bombarde to Great 8 | 16 | Ophicleide (from Ophicleide Héroïque 64) | |
| Swell to Choir 16 | 16 | Grande Bombarde | |
| Swell to Choir 8 | 16 | Deuxième Bombarde (from Great) | |
| Swell to Choir 4 | 16 | Bombarde (from Swell) | |
| Bombarde to Choir 8 | 16 | Basson-Cor Anglais (from Choir) | |
| Choir to Swell 8 | 8 | Trompette (from Grande Bombarde 16) | |
| Bombarde to Swell 8 | 8 | Deuxième Trompette (from Great) | |
| Great on Bombarde | 4 | Clairon (from Grande Bombarde 16) | |
| Transfer I-II | 4 | Deuxième Clairon (from Great) | |
| ACCESSORIES | |||
| 20 | General Pistonl affecting all stops and couplers, duplicated by toe studs | ||
| 10 | Local Pistons each for Great, Swell, Choir, and Pedal | ||
| 8 | Local Pistons for Bombarde | ||
| 4 | Local Pistons for Couplers | ||
| 128 | Levels of Memory for Combination Action | ||
| 6 | Reversible Pistons for Full Organ, Pedal Couplers, All Swells to Swell | ||
| 6 | Reversible Toe Studs for Pedal 32s | ||
| 4 | Different Crescendo Settings | ||
