The organ at Reseda Elementary school is unusual in as much it is the only pipe organ permanently installed in an elementary classroom in the world! The original organ was built in 1916 by the California Organ Company, was presented to the elementary school (the only elementary school in the San Fernando Valley at the time) as a gift by the executives of the organ company in appreciation of the education that their children had received (also as a promotion of their company in the then rapidly growing San Fernando Valley).

The organ received sketchy maintenance for many years, and the organ’s original console was damaged beyond repair by some questionable maintenance personal.

Several years later, a recycled console was procured and installed. In 1994, the Northridge earthquake occurred, with the epicentre located less than 1 mile from the school!

The damage to the organ was severe! Williamson-Warne & Associates were contracted to restore the organ. Being that it was an instrument that was (with the exception of the console) in original condition, a good example of organbuilding of this builder and of the period, and the only organ installed in an elementary school classroom in the world, we approached this project as a restoration, rather than a rebuild or repair. We tried faithfully to restore the instrument to a museum-quality instrument that reproduced the musical quality accurately.

   All parts were restored, cleaned and re-finished using like materials and techniques. All damaged pipework was voiced and regulated matching examples from undamaged examples.

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