The pipe organ, which served Austinburg United Church of Christ until March of 1967, was originally built for the Conneaut Congregational Church in 1888 by A.B. Felgemaker of Erie, Pennsylvania.  In 1900, the instrument was bought by the Austinburg parish for $400 and tradition has it that the organ was brought here by sled during a blizzard.

A contract was signed in the summer of 1965 to rebuild the organ.  However, once the organ was disassembled it was apparent that most of the old mechanisms would have to be replaced.  The builder, Michael Anthony Loris of Barre, Vermont, made new windchests and action, and in fact expanded the total amount of pipes from 552 to it's present day 800 pipes plus sixteen stops.

The original casework was retained.  It is made of walnut, with white oak trim and paneling.  The pipes are made out of pine bass wood, oak and cherry as well as spotted metal and brass.  The manual keys are solid ebony and padouk, the pedal keys walnut and maple, and the stop levers rosewood.

This major restoration and rebuilding took nearly four years  to complete.  The new organ was dedicated on October 12, 1969.

Photo by Evelyn Schaeffer