You are invited to attend our Organ Reveal and Open House & Garden on Saturday May 7th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Experience the range of sound of this orchestral organ now fully restored to its original glory! One of a just a handful of functioning Skinner residential organs, the Opus 742A has just completed an extensive restoration. Thanks to a generous donor, the restoration work on this 1928 marvel began in 2014 and has taken a full 8 years to complete. The restoration has been a complex and meticulous process of bringing all the working parts back to original condition, while at the same time preserving nearly 100 years of graceful aging. Opus 742A came to Welkinweir in 1941. Everett and Grace Rodebaugh had been researching home organs for their expansion of the East Nantmeal farmhouse which they had purchased in 1939. They began a correspondence with Ernest Skinner who told them of two of his instruments that were available - one in Boston, and one in New York. Opus 724A was originally installed in the Park Avenue apartment of a wealthy NY stockbroker, and the instrument had been put up for sale when the building was slated to be torn down. They purchased the New York instrument and it was disassembled, brought to Pottstown via rail, and re-installed by factory technicians into the new residential addition. 

The Rodebaugh's long time organ curator, Brant Duddy, maintained the organ from the early 1970's through 2014 and was "instrumental" in connecting us not only with the restoration specialist, but with a very generous donor, whose passion for these instruments lead to the funding of essentially the entire restoration. As a tribute to this marvelous machine, the dedicated experts who have brought this organ intact through to the present day, and the incredibly generous funding which made the recent restoration possible, we are planning organ concerts throughout the day. A video display of the keyboard and pedals in operation will be shown in the entry hall wall, highlighting some of the modern technology which is enhancing the 1928 electronics. Limited tours to the third floor will be offered to view the multiplexer, pipes, and instruments that make up the complex instrument. This is a rare opportunity to see "behind the scenes" in an area of the building not normally accessible to visitors. 

The grounds will be open. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic to enjoy under the tent overlooking the great pond.