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Cornell College removing organ pipes for derecho cleanup
Crews removing all 3,771 pipes from the chapel’s organ
Dec. 9, 2021 6:00 am, Updated: Dec. 9, 2021 7:54 am
MOUNT VERNON — Over a year since a historic derecho blasted Eastern Iowa and became the costliest thunderstorm in U.S. history, Cornell College — like many others — still is cleaning up.
As part of derecho repairs to the campus’ iconic King Memorial Chapel, scheduled to begin in March, crews this week are starting a two-week process of removing all 3,771 pipes from the chapel’s M.P. Moller organ.
The organ, valued at $2.9 million, is the third pipe organ to have been in the chapel, having replaced the previous 1931 Kimball organ, according to a pipe organ database. The current King Chapel organ, according to pipeorganlist.com, arrived on campus via three truck loads in August 1967 and was “ready for use by the end of September.”
While Cornell completes $8 million in repairs to the chapel, the organ pipes will be housed in Champaign, Ill. The cost to remove, store and then return the organ is estimated at nearly $615,000, according to a Cornell spokeswoman Dee Ann Rexroat.
The shadow of Josh Wood with The Organ Clearing House is cast on the ceiling Wednesday as he uses a block and tackle as he and others disassemble the 1967 M.P. Moller Opus 10258 pipe organ at King Chapel at Cornell College in Mount Vernon. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
The feet of giant wooden organ pipes are marked with the notes the pipes produce as workers with The Organ Clearing House on Wednesday disassemble the M.P. Moller Opus 10258 pipe organ at King Chapel at Cornell College in Mount Vernon. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Two metals joined together create the unique finish on organ pipes on the M.P. Moller Opus 10258 pipe organ at King Chapel at Cornell College in Mount Vernon. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Peter Rudewicz with The Organ Clearing House on Wednesday tapes up an old cotton-insulated wiring harness as he and others disassemble the M.P. Moller Opus 10258 pipe organ at King Chapel at Cornell College in Mount Vernon. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Peter Rudewicz with The Organ Clearing House wraps organ parts that will be packed into shipping trays as he and others Wednesday disassemble the M.P. Moller Opus 10258 pipe organ at King Chapel at Cornell College in Mount Vernon. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Workers with The Organ Clearing House build a scaffolding Wednesday as they work to disassemble the M.P. Moller Opus 10258 pipe organ at King Chapel at Cornell College in Mount Vernon. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Old cotton-insulated wiring is seen Wednesday as workers with The Oran Clearing House disassemble the 1967 M.P. Moller Opus 10258 pipe organ at King Chapel at Cornell College. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
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