CHARLES VINER & SONS ORGAN COMPANY

Buffalo, New York

The Charles Viner & Son Organ Company was formed after Charles B. Viner purchased the Garret House Organ Company which operated from 1845-1898 (producing a total of 142 organs). While there is a semi-compilation list of Viner organs, inaccurate record keeping has made an opus list impossible. Organs specifically installed in theatres are as follows:

Like many other companies of the period, Charles Viner often installed new organs with horseshoe consoles in churches. Three organs have been encountered recently with such consoles. After 1938, the company primarily only serviced organs locally around the Buffalo area, occassionally rebuilding or installing new blowers on older organs.

LAST KNOWN CHARLES VINER UNIT ORGAN

Oak 2 Manual Console

(Not only does this organ seem to have a only 2 manuals in a small three manual shell, but is also equiped with a "user friendly" music rack!!!)

This organ is installed in Cazenovia Park Baptist Church in South Buffalo, New York. Originally installed in 1929, complete with Toy Counter and Piano, this organ may have been originally installed in an unkown theatre. The metal pipework is of Gottfried make while the wood pipes are presumably made by Viner. The organ is built along the lines of a Mack truck, utilizing large wood members, rigid materials, and in some cases over engineered actions!!!! The scales of the pipework are interesting; the Open Diapason being almost to large and the Leiblich Gedeckt being smaller than any similar Baroque stop i've seen. The wind is provided by a Spencer Orgoblo at a constant pressure of 8.5" Currently the organ is playable, but often goes unused and is now missing the Piano.

LEFT CHAMBER

RIGHT CHAMBER

Pipework

(right to left: Tuba, Salicional, Open Diapason, Leiblich Gedeckt)

Page Maintained by Joseph M. McCabe

If you wish to mail me: jmmccabe@acsu.buffalo.edu