Cornell College in Mount Vernon parted with its historical 1967 Möeller Pipe Organ in the midst of the ongoing King Chapel restoration project.

In 2021, the Buzard Pipe Organ transported a moving van filled to the brim with 3,771 pipes previously comprised of King Chapel’s final pipe organ. The organ was housed in the campus’ chapel for just shy of 20,000 days, or roughly 54 years.

“It’s physically challenging, demanding work,” said Keith Williams, service department director of Buzard Piper Organ Builders. “It took a crew of eight people two weeks to pack the entire instrument into a very large moving van.”

Buzard salvaged as many pipes as possible and disposed of the remains. Any profit from the organ will go back to Cornell College.

Since the removal in 2021, the college has revisited its intentions to reinstall the organ. As of now, Cornell has no intention to restore or replace the organ due to structural and financial challenges following the devastating 2020 derecho.

“The organ was a special part of our past,” said Jill Hawk, Cornell’s public relations and digital content director. “We’re grateful for that piece of history and the music we shared with others.”

By the time the derecho struck, the organ was already in need of extensive repairs.

“We discovered the cost to repair the organ was $1.5 million, it was too big for the space, and that ongoing maintenance would not have been possible, and a replacement organ is estimated to cost $2 million,” said Hawk.

The tradition of organs serving the Cornell College community dates back to 1899 when King Chapel Church was built, and its first organ was housed. According to Feb. 18, 1899, article in the Cornellian paper, the original organ was met with months of anticipation from the community. The first-ever King Chapel Organ performance was given by Miss Gertrude Smith of the Cornell College Conservatory of Music. Smith studied pipe organ abroad in Germany and in America.

Smith began a 120-year-long tradition of organ performing by opening her program with one of the most infamous organ charts of all time, Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.” “(She) very readily impresses one with the fact that she is (a) complete master of the instrument, and we can assure all a rare opportunity of hearing the organ at its best,” said the Cornellian in its 1899 issue.

Only 32 years later, the organ was replaced by a larger organ that was most famously played by the young musical prodigy Fernando Germani, only a year after its installation. Germani was unanimously appointed to be the organist for the Augusteo Orchestra in Rome when he
was 14 years old and had a successful musical career.

“In the opinion of experts in the music world, this young Italian master may be compared favorably with Bossi, Courboin, Dupre, Bonnet, Lemare, Vierne, Hollins, Fernam, and Christian,” said the Cornellian in May 1932.

Germani was not the only famous organist to grace the chapel walls. Joseph Bonnet, who Germani was compared to in 1932, also performed in King Chapel.

“Joseph Bonnet, world famous organist, composer, and teacher, will present an organ recital in the Cornell chapel Friday evening,” said the Cornellian in an Oct. 25, 1940, issue.

After 35 years, the most recent organ replaced the 1931organ. The organ was installed on Oct. 21, 1967. This organ was made by Möeller Organ Builders.

“Möeller was in business for over 100 years,” said Williams of Buzard Pipe Organ Builders.

“It was the world’s largest manufacturer of pipe organs ever.” The Maryland company was truly a one-of-a-kind organ producer and built over 12,000 organs. No company has matched the magnitude and speed at which Möeller built organs.

In its heyday, it employed around 200 organ builders. Modern organ-building companies
employ roughly 10% of the builders as Möeller at its peak.

“During the 1920s, when they were at their peak, they were literally turning out a pipe organ a day,” said Williams. “It would take us easily a year to a year -and-a-half to build an organ of that size from scratch.”

Cornell introduced the organ during its 1932 homecoming celebration. Three Cornell student organists, Laura Mottinger, Konnie Kiefer, and Jane Thomas gave the first public performance of this organ. Since then, the organ served witness to many events and performances within the chapel walls.

To upkeep and maintain the organ’s tonality, it was repaired in 1993. Robert Triplett, organist and artist, gave a performance and lecture entitled “Those Sassy Americans” to showcase the organ’s restored musical quality.

“The tonal quality of the restored organ is terrific,” said Triplett in a 1993 Cornellian issue. “In my mind, no organ for miles around beats the tonal excellence of the instrument.”

As time went on, the college had less use for the organ and would bring in musicians to per form on the instrument as needed. One of the last documented performances on the organ was by Dr. Lynda Hakken, who accompanied the Cornell Concert Choir in 2012.

Although the organ has lost popularity in recent years, that was not always the case. Cornell College had multiple student organists, including Barbara Norland, a student of Triplett, who placed first in the 1972 Guild of Organists’ Competition. Richard Bjella, also a Triplett student, tied for second in the same competition, proving that the Möeller organ was not only still relevant, but nurtured a thriving learning experience.

Although the organ will be missed, King Chapel will continue musical experiences for Cornell’s current and future students.

“We’ll continue to share quality music through our existing ensembles, who are excited to get back into the chapel and perform once renovations are complete,” said Hawk.