The Kotzschmar Memorial Organ , usually referred to as the Kotzschmar Organ , is a pipe organ located at Merrill Auditorium in the City Hall of Portland, Maine , United States .
10-690: Built in 1911 by the Austin Organ Co. as Opus 323, the Kotzschmar Organ was the second-largest organ in the world at the time, and it remains the largest organ in Maine today. The organ was donated to the city by Portland native Cyrus Hermann Kotzschmar Curtis , founder of the Curtis Publishing Company of Philadelphia, as a memorial to Hermann Kotzschmar , a close family friend for whom he had been named. Kotzschmar
20-635: A municipal organist (who would become an FOKO employee), as well as to fund maintenance and restoration of the organ. To date, there have been eleven municipal organists in Portland: A partial list of notable organists who have played the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ: 43°39′34″N 70°15′26″W / 43.65955°N 70.25725°W / 43.65955; -70.25725 Austin Organs, Inc. Austin Organs, Inc. ,
30-758: Is a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Hartford, Connecticut . The company is one of the oldest continuously-operating organ manufacturers in the United States. The first instruments were built in 1893 with the Austin Patent Airchest, and many remain in fine playing condition to this day. The Austin Organ Company was formally organized in 1898 by John Turnell Austin in Boston, Massachusetts, although it traces its beginning to 1893 with
40-559: Is one of only two U.S. municipal organs still owned by a municipality – the other being the Spreckels Organ in San Diego, California . The City of Portland created the position of Municipal Organist in 1912. The position was maintained until 1981 when it was eliminated due to budget constraints. That same year a non-profit organization called Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ was formed in order to provide continued funding for
50-479: The company still builds instruments at the same four-story edifice located at 156 Woodland Street. In March 2005 the company closed when annual revenue fell below $ 150K per year after a payment dispute regarding an installation. Weeks later a business partnership was formed by the owner of an organ service and repair company and a long-time Austin employee. They purchased the company, restructured its operations, and recalled several company veterans. As of 2019 Austin
60-610: The first instruments Austin built at the Clough & Warren Company in Detroit, Michigan . In 1899 the company moved to Hartford. Austin was from England and had come to the United States in 1889. Austin's father Jonathan had a hobby of organ building. When son John made his way to Detroit he found work at the Farrand & Votey Organ Company . While servicing organs for Farrand, Austin worked with tracker and slider chests and some of
70-431: The nascent electric mechanisms. He developed what would be named the "Universal Air Chest System". This is an airtight chamber with the chest action on the ceiling of the chamber. A feature of this system was that the chest could be entered from below while the organ was turned on; this allowed for servicing of the organ keying action. The modern (current) chest design was further developed in 1913, and has been refined over
80-561: The nephew of the company founder and a long-term employee purchased what remained of the company and formed "Austin Organs, Inc." They re-established the factory in Hartford although in more modest facilities that were adjacent to their old plant. The first instrument produced by the re-organized company was given Opus 2000. During the Second World War , the company contributed to the war effort by constructing gliders. As of 2020
90-624: The years. In 1905 the company began building electric consoles; these have also been refined over the years. The Austin Organ Company reached its peak in the 1920s when it was delivering more than 80 instruments each year. In the Depression years the company struggled with high overhead, decreased new business, and cash flow. By 1935 the company announced that it would close after fulfilling existing contracts, with its last instrument as Opus 1885. The company vacated its factory building, sold some assets and put others into storage. In February 1937
100-407: Was a German-born musician who came to Portland in 1849, acquired a reputation as the city's most prominent musician, and lived there until his death in 1908. The Kotzschmar Organ is a prime example of the U.S. style of municipal (city–owned) organs which were once a prevalent part of American culture throughout the first half of the 20th century. It was the first municipal organ built in the U.S., and
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