Builder: Henry Pilcher & Son, 1895. Manuals: 2 Ranks: 17 Pipes: 1000 Stops: 16 Action: Tubular pneumatic/slider chests Notes: This organ replaced a previous unknown instrument in the "Old Main" from circa 1890, which was sold for $300.00. The Chapel in Morrill Hall was on the 2nd floor over the library. The room was laid-out in an Akron plan, and the organ was recessed into a chamber on the front, right wall. Pilcher was transferred to First Baptist (old) in Ames and last played there on May 1, 1949. Morrill Hall (often referred to as the Old Main), on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames, IA, is a historic building that now houses the Christian Petersen Art Museum. It was originally named for Justin Smith Morrill, who created the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act. Construction was completed in 1891 with less than $30,000. Morrill Hall was originally constructed to fill the capacity of a library, museum, and chapel. These original uses are engraved in the exterior stonework on the east side. It was vacated starting in 1996 when it was determined unsafe. Also in 1996, Morrill Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2005, $9 million was raised to renovate the building and convert it into a museum. Morrill Hall has reopened as of March 2007, including the new Christian Petersen Art Museum. The building has 27,172 square feet. Chimneys at the four corners are designed to provide draft for natural ventilation, unlike most chimneys (which exhaust products of burning). James R. Stettner and Organ Historical Society as of 2010. Website photo from Ames Historical Society. |
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