Concert Friday evening at the Church of the Good Shepherd

By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
The members of the Church of the Good Shepherd located at 116 Main Street in Houlton have undertaken a restoration project to refurbish the 117-year-old Hutchings tracker organ in their sanctuary. In order to raise funds, they will present a concert this Friday evening, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m.
    Several church and community members will share their talents during this special event. Those included in the program will be, Larry and Anne Hutchinson, Fred, Renee and Connor Grant, Jennie Beasley, Rev. Naomi Sam-Kpakra, Scott Walker, Rev. Dale Holden, Barbara Hogan, Harrison Roper, Wesleyan Church Trio, Camille Pierce, Dustin and Tyler Delano, Maliseet Women’s Drum Group and Court Street Baptist Bell Ringers.
This concert will showcase a variety of local talent and offer a wonderful evening of entertainment. Admission is by donation.
The restoration of the organ will take approximately three to four months. The organ will be disassembled and transported to Pipe Organ Builders of Gorham. The cost to complete the restoration is $45,000.
The Hutchings organ, built by the George S. Hutchings Company is a fine example of one of Boston’s best 19th century pipe organ builders. It is remarkably well preserved and presets a great opportunity to easily restore the organ to the condition of the instrument when it was installed more than a century ago.
“The investment in restoring the organ today will result in a 100-year return on that investment,” said David Wallace, owner of the Gorham business. “The cost to build a new pipe organ with the same specifications as the Hutchings would be approximately $250,000 today.”
No one is quite sure whether the organ was installed during the building of the church or a few years later, but sometime before 1893.
It was originally pumped by hand, often by children that could fit into the small space behind the bowels of the instrument.
In 1919, an electric motor was installed and used for the first time on June 22. It cost $265 and in those days that was considered extremely expensive. The hand pump was left in place just in case the power went out during the church services.
The organ gets its name from the series of rods controlled by the stops that affect the amount of air allowed to the various pipes. Today pneumatic or electric action is used.
For those unable to attend this concert, but would like to contribute to the project, please send your donation to Church of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 1672, Houlton, ME. 04730 and designate the Organ Restoration on your check. For more information contact Fred Grant, 532-4030 or Larry Hutchinson, 532-6837.