Interior church photos by William T. Van Pelt

This Hook organ from 1868 has been sensitively rebuilt by the Andover Organ Company, relocated from New England, and installed in Christ Episcopal Church, 120 West High Street, Charlottesville.

Originally built as E.&G.G. Hook Opus 472 for a church in Chicago, the organ lost its case, console, and mechanical action in 1922, when it was electrified and installed in two organ chambers. Now, the 3-manual instrument of 38 stops has acquired a handsome new oak case that fills the entire front wall of the Gothic-revival church. Additionally, it has new tracker action and an elegant Hook-style console with an electronic combination system.

Organ Specification
GREAT
Bourdon 16
Open Diapason 8
Stopped Diapason 8
Viol d'Amour 8
Octave 4
Harmonic Flute 4
Twelfth 2-2/3
Fifteenth 2
Mixture IV
Trumpet 8
Swell to Great
Choir to Great

SWELL (enclosed)
Open Diapason 8
Stopped Diapason 8
Keraulophon 8
Keraulophone Celeste 8
Octave 4
Flauto traverso 4
Violina 4
Flautino 2
Mixture III
Trumpet 8
Oboe 8
Tremolo

CHOIR
Geigen Principal 8
Melodia 8
Dulciana 8
Fugara 4
Flute d'Amour 4
Nazard 2-2/3
Piccolo 2
Tierce 1-3/5
Clarionet 8
Tremolo
Swell to Choir

PEDAL
Double Open Diapason 16
Subbass 16
Bourdon 16 (Great)
Violoncello 8
Flutebass 8 (ext. Subbass)
Choralbass 4 (ext. Violoncello)
Trombone 16
Trumpet 8 (ext. Trombone)
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Choir to Pedal

ACCESSORIES
Swell pedal
Crescendo pedal
10 general pistons
6 divisional pistons per division
64 memory levels
Tutti
Sequencer

HISTORY

The previous organ was built by the Fritzsche Organ Co., date unknown but probably late 1950s or 1960s. Paul Fritzsche worked for the Durner Organ Co. of Quakertown, PA, and acquired the firm in 1932 and operated it in Allentown PA as Fritzsche Organ Co. The firm was sold to Robert O. Wuestohoff at date unknown (but probably 1970s).  The Fritzsche probably replaced something else, as the church is quite old enough to have had at least one organ before the Fritzsche.