About the organ

Built by E. & G.G. Hook & Hastings, Boston (Opus 724) – 1873
Restored by Andover Organ Company
Lawrence, Massachusetts – 1960 and 1995

ORGAN SPECIFICATIONS

HISTORY OF THE ORGAN

“The organ in the First Congregational Church, Wellfleet, was built by E. & G.G. Hook & Hastings for the recess behind the pulpit which was enlarged to hold the instrument and the choir. The organ was housed in a splendid case of three tall arches, made of American black walnut, and topped with a lyre covered with gold leaf. The front pipes speak as the lowest 15 notes of the Open Diapason, and were covered with aluminum leaf and gold leaf on the pipe mouths. The manual pipework is all on one level, with the Great behind the façade, then the enclosed Swell, with the pedal somewhat lower at the very rear.

During the early part of this century, the organ went through several minor changes. An electric blower replaced the original pump handle. A thirty note concave radiating pedal board replaced the original twenty-seven note flat pedal board, and a balanced swell pedal replaced the original ratchet system. More significantly, to meet the fashion of the times, the Great Octave, the Swell Flute Harmonic, and, to a lesser degree, several other stops were made softer. At some point, the original gold and aluminum leaf of the façade pipes was hidden by a metallic gold paint.

In 1960 some major work was done by the Andover Organ Company. The Octave and Harmonic Flute were made somewhat louder, closer to the original. Again, following the trends of the time, the original Melodia was replaced with a very nice 4’ Rohr Flöte, and the 4’ Violina pipes were cut off to become a 2’ flute.

By the 1980’s, it became apparent that the old blower had bearing problems and was due for replacement, and the reservoir, which had been extensively patched in 1960, needed complete re-leathering. Brad Williams, Director of Music, along with The Committee for the Ministry of the Arts decided that everything which was needed be done at one time. All moving parts would be refurbished, and the key ivories repaired with some replacements. The pitch would be lowered from the original (which was much sharper then A 440) to the current standard, so brasses and other instruments could be used with the organ. All pipework would be repaired, and the speech and volume be adjusted to the style of the E. & G.G. Hook & Hastings organs of the 1870’s.

Most importantly, the Melodia and Violina would be restored, although there should be a 2’ stop in the Swell, and the 4’ Rohr Flöte should be retained on the Great. Andover provided a Melodia from the Hook & Hastings Opus 1684 built in 1894. Five pipes of the original Melodia bass survived, and are again part of the Melodia. The pipes of the Swell 2’ Flute were lengthened in the Andover pipe shop, and revoiced to sound much as they originally did, as the 4’ Violina. A 2’ Flautino for the Swell was made from the Viola of Hook & Hastings Opus 1225 (1884), with new pipes for the 2’ treble.

The pedal was completed by providing new mechanism and old pipes for the top three notes of both pedal stops. These top notes had never worked except for pedal couplers.

Scrapings from the façade pipes were analyzed, and it was determined that they were originally decorated with aluminum and gold leaf. The decision was made to restore them to their original appearance. This is thought to be the first application of aluminum leaf to organ pipes for several decades, at least in the United States.

With this restoration, the Wellfleet organ has a secure place as Cape Cod’s finest example of later nineteenth century organ building.”

Robert Newton
Andover Organ Company

THE BUILDERS

Elias Hook (1805-1881) and George Greenleaf Hook (1807-1880) were the sons of William Hook, a prominent Salem cabinetmaker. After apprenticing with William M. Goodrich of Boston, the Hook brothers started building organs in Salem in 1827. The early organs were beautifully made in the style of organs which had been imported from England in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. A fine example of their early work exists on the Cape in the First Church of Christ, Sandwich, an organ built in 1847. Several significant organs by other Massachusetts organ builders of the mid nineteenth century exist in other area churches.

Organs built by E. & G.G. Hook became known for their superior mechanical and tonal qualities, and the firm moved to Boston and continued to expand.

In 1855, Francis H. Hastings (1836-1916) started with the firm as an apprentice and rapidly moved into the drafting department. By 1872, he was a full partner, and the firm name became E. & G.G. Hook & Hastings. By this time, the firm was building approximately fifty organs a year.

During the 1850’s and 1860’s, organ rebuilding in New England became influenced by organs of Germany as well as England.

Compasses of the keyboards, especially the Swell and pedal, expanded. The voicing of the pipework became more romantic and also more robust. The E. & G.G. Hook & Hastings firm was a leader in that trend. Modern machinery, powered by steam, came into use. Standardization of parts became important, and eventually, smaller “stock model” organs were offered, as well as the larger organs designed for specific spaces.

The Wellfleet Congregational Church organ is a fine example of the tonal practices which were achieved during the 1870’s and remained relatively unchanged throughout the rest of the century. The case of the Wellfleet organ is unique among extant examples, and was probably designed specifically for this church.

The firm continued to build many of the most important organs of the country. Seventy-three organs appear on the opus list as being built in 1883. Organ No. 2000 was built in 1903, and the Hook & Hastings firm continued until 1936, when the doors finally closed after building over 2500 organs.