Bexley, OH
2/23 Austin
Opus 2588 - 1975
From the front doors of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Bexley, Ohio, one would not suspect that this quaint looking church would have a pipe organ inside. The building is relatively small, the roof is low and once inside the building hints of a large estate house rather than house of worship. However, after taking a right turn from the main entrance, one is pleasantly surprised when they hear the beautiful notes of the 2/23 Austin Organ Company pipe organ emanating from the front of the sanctuary. Hidden behind screens in the front and right side of the sanctuary, this instrument, thanks to some recent tonal modifications, provides a robust, balanced sound to lead the St. Alban's parish congregation in song.
Parish and Church History
St. Alban's Episcopal Church congregation was established in 1921 to meet the needs of the growing population in the east Columbus suburb of Bexley. The buildings sit on two adjacent lots which were donated by founding members of the parish. The current church was built in 1925 with additions made over time to the original "temporary" structure. In spite of the additions, the church building retains its charm inside, and on the outside blends in nicely with the other beautiful homes along South Drexel Avenue.
Pipe Organs at St. Alban's
The original church housed a "second-hand pump organ" which was later replaced by another second-hand pipe organ in 1929. In 1975 the current Austin Organ Company pipe organ was installed in the church. The organ underwent some work by Austin in the early 1980s when some materials used in the construction were found to be faulty.
In 2010, Muller Pipe Organ Company performed several changes to the organ. A few ranks were replaced to better balance the overall sound, and the console went through a major renovation which included the replacement of the manuals. The tonal changes altered the organ's original neo-classic "baroque" sound popular in the 1970s and 1980s to that which is more balanced and robust overall. Despite the changes, the organ largely looks and operates as originally built by Austin. The pipe organ continues to be maintained by Muller Pipe Organ Company.
A big thanks to the staff at St. Alban's and to the Muller Pipe Organ Company staff for providing information about changes made to the instrument. Additional credit goes to St. Alban's web page from which the historical information was extracted from.
