The tracker organ is a musical wind instrument in which sound is produced by one or more rows or “ranks” of pipes. The wind supply is provided by an electric turbine “blower,” and a leathered “reservoir” is responsible for supplying sufficient pressure and reserve of air. Each of one to four keyboards or “manuals” operates a “division” of ranks. Each division is named according to its function in the instrument. The “Great” is the main division, containing several of the stronger-toned ranks. The “Swell” is an enclosed division, provided with adjustable shutters which allow a variation in the volume of sound. The “pedals” of the organ are an oversized keyboard played by the feet. The ranks of pipes controlled by the pedals provide the bass tones of the organ. The knobs to the right or left of the keyboard are called “stops.” They operate wooden sliders which are used to keep a row of pipes out of action, or in other words, “stopped.”

The assembly of keyboards, pedals, and stops is called the “console.” Long, thin pieces of wood, called “trackers,” connect the keys and pedals to valves under the pipes. When a key is pressed, it moves a tracker to open a valve under the pipe, allowing air to flow into the pipe and produce a tone.

The value of a tracker action organ (as opposed to various types of electric action organs) is the high degree of flexibility and responsiveness of the keyboard, and the clear articulation of the pipes’ speech. Tracker action exhibits simplicity of design, superior longevity, and ease of maintenance.

The organ is known to have existed in crude form in ancient times. Organs of the Middle Ages had several ranks of pipes which were all “diapasons,” that is, pipes whose timbre is characteristic of the organ alone. Ranks of pipes with timbres imitative of other instruments such as flutes and reed instruments were added in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. In the 19th century, stops imitating various orchestral tones became popular.

Due in part to the influence of Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) and the “Orgelbewegung” (an organ reform movement begun in the 1920s), there has been a revived interest in tracker organs and the historic principles used in their construction.

The organ at Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church is a 2-manual, 26-rank, 1,391 pipe Johnson & Son tracker organ, Opus 690, which was built in the Johnson factory in Westfield, Massachusetts at a cost of $3,000. It was delivered to the present building in 1888 which was at that time the Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian Church. The building had just been completed and was dedicated with its new organ on April 22, 1888.

The sanctuary at that time was somewhat smaller than at present and the organ was situated in a case in the northwest corner. In 1898, it was decided to enlarge the sanctuary to its present size. To do this, the west wall was moved westward 25 feet and the organ was moved to its current position. The organ chamber was also modified to include a flat of dummy pipes facing the pews in order to allow more sound to reach the sanctuary.

The Johnson firm is credited with being one of the first organ builders to use a water motor to provide the organ’s wind supply. This type of hydraulic motor depended on a reliable water supply of sufficient pressure to operate a water wheel which was connected to the bellows through a series of shafts, wheels and gears. The Lincoln Park organ was built with such a water motor. There was a recital in the church on June 15, 1888, and the church records note: “if all Lake View will insist on sprinkling their flowerbeds just as Mr. W. sits down to the organ, he cannot be expected to get much volume of sound. A water motor may be a very good idea, but it’s not as reliable as the old-fashioned pumping machine, i.e., a man.” The organ’s water motor no longer exists; the instrument is now powered by an electric turbine blower. Other records from June 1896 state: “paid boy for pumping organ on two Sundays, $1.00.” The bellows handle for this “old-fashioned pump-ing machine” was inside the door of the organ chamber below the flat of dummy pipes.

The organ was well cared for through the years. The church records of August 1902 note that a yearly organ maintenance contract was obtained for $75. Repairs were also made in 1906 and 1924. Despite other repairs throughout the years, the organ is virtually unchanged since its installation. In 1976, the Roderer Organ Company undertook a thorough cleaning and various repairs. It was at this time that the original wind system was removed.

In 1981, it was determined that a major renovation was necessary if the organ was to be preserved for the years ahead. The Bradford Organ Company was selected for this project. The first phase of this renovation was begun in that same year when the pedal trackers were replaced and the pedal couplers were restored. The second phase was accomplished mostly in the summer of 1986. Included in this work were: replacement of the Great and Swell trackers, rebushing of the keyboards, repitching the organ (the pitch had drifted sharp after years of tuning), renovating various tuning mechanisms, and restoration of several of the reed stops. In addition, a wind system reservoir copied from a Johnson original was built and installed. All of this work was done with the goal of maintaining the historical integrity of the instrument. A recital series in the fall of 1986 celebrated the 1980s renovations.

In 1988, a lecture/mini-recital/party was held to recognize the organ’s centennial and to celebrate 100 years of praising God with music. At this event, the Organ Historical Society presented the church with a citation recognizing Opus 690 as “an instrument of exceptional historical merit worthy of preservation.”

In 1995, new tuning scrolls were installed on certain pipes. Many mechanical and pipework improvements were completed in fall 1998 and winter 1999. In 2004, the facade pipes were stripped and repainted to match the original base color.

As part of the extensive building renovations of the 2004-7 Capital Campaign, the sanctuary was air conditioned, the carpeting in the chancel and the rear of the sanctuary was removed, and in June 2007, the organ was thoroughly cleaned, with most pipes removed and washed in a cattle trough.

Organ Specification

The enclosed Swell is above the Great. The Pedale is at the rear of the chamber, the Bourdon and Violoncello being on a slider chest and the Double Open Diapason on a ventil chest. There is mechanical action throughout, with double harness action in the pedal.

*m = metal pipes; w = wood pipes. †TC = short compass ranks ending at Tenor C.

The founder of the Johnson Organ Company, William Allen Johnson, was born in 1816 in Nassau, New York. In 1825, his family moved to Westfield, Massachusetts. He attended school until the age of 13, and thereafter worked at various odd jobs before becoming apprenticed to a mason in 1834. He became interested in organ building in 1843 when he helped install an organ in a local church. He soon obtained the necessary equipment and built his first organ, completing it in 1844. In 1847, he began building organs full time, and his business continually increased. In 1871, his son, William H. Johnson, was taken into the firm, and in 1874, the company became known as Johnson & Son. By 1878, the Johnson company had built over 500 organs. Johnson organs were known for such characteristics as a high degree of tonal excellence, and the continued use of tracker action even when various types of electric action were coming into use.

The younger Johnson became head of the company in 1890 due to his father’s failing health. Opus 860 was built in 1898 and was the firm’s last organ. (This last instrument was built for the nearby St. Pauls Church, located at the corner of Fullerton and Orchard. This organ was in use until 1955.) The company continued supplying pipes until 1907. William A. Johnson died in 1901 and his son died in 1921.

Of the 860 organs built by the Johnson firm, 63 of them were built for the Chicago area. One writer referred to Chicago as a “Johnson town.” Currently, the Lincoln Park organ is one of only three Johnson organs in Chicago that are in working order. The others are Opus 386 of St. Josaphat Roman Catholic Church and Opus 729 of the Union Avenue United Methodist Church.

Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church was formed in 1966 by the merger of the Fullerton and Christ Presbyterian Churches. The Fullerton Church was itself the result of a merger in 1932 of the Covenant and Fullerton Avenue Presbyterian Churches. The present building was originally the second edifice of the Fullerton Avenue congregation. It was designed by Chicago architect John S. Woollacott and constructed of Michigan buff sandstone.

It is interesting to note that both the Christ and Covenant Presbyterian Churches also had Johnson organs. Christ Presbyterian (formerly located at Armitage and Orchard) had Opus 436 (1874), a three-manual organ that had been donated by the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago in 1914. Covenant Presbyterian (formerly located at Halsted and Belden) owned Opus 689 (1888) which was also a three-manual instrument.

Known Organists

The Dorothy Allen Organ Fund was established in 1985 with funds given to the church through the estate of Dorothy Allen. The Organ Fund was used to underwrite the 1986 restoration and continues to provide financial assistance for organ maintenance and repair, as well as to sponsor occasional recitals. Dorothy Allen was a long-time member of the church who loved music and was interested in the history and preservation of the organ. Contributions to the Dorothy Allen Organ Fund are welcome and are tax-deductible. Checks should be made payable to “Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church” with a notation that the contribution is for the Organ Fund.

This history section was prepared by Barry Smith and is based in part on an organ history written by Dorothy Allen in 1976. Additional information was provided by the Bradford Organ Company and Michael D. Friesen of the Organ Historical Society. The cover photograph is by Barry Smith. For further information, see: The Johnson Organs by John Van Varick Elsworth (1984), The Church Building of Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church: A Centennial History (1988) by Barry Smith, and Pipe Organs of Chicago by Stephen J. Schnurr, Jr. and Dennis E. Northway (2005).