Lost in the rubble of Milwaukee County church, a 'priceless and irreplaceable' pipe organ from 1879
When the smoke cleared and the ash settled after Tuesday’s devastating fire at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, a profound silence descended on the remains of the structure.
Among the losses figured into the final tally of the fire damage will be the church’s 1879 pipe organ, as well as the graceful ribs and ceiling arches that combined to create one of the city’s warmest, friendliest acoustics for performing and hearing music.
“The organ was irreplaceable and priceless,” said John Behnke, Trinity’s organist and choir director and retired professor at Concordia University in Mequon. “It was built in 1879, cost $3,500 new, and had been well maintained since then. Its working, mechanical aspects were very stable.”
Built by the Milwaukee-based Schuelke Organ Co. and listed on the Organ Historical Society’s national register of historic organs, the organ was more than a musical machine; it was also a work of tremendous craftsmanship and artistic detail.
Read more: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2018/05/18/trinity-church-lost-priceless-and-irreplaceable-pipe-organ-fire/623398002/
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