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Historic Simmons / Rosales Organ
Available in the church office:
*** "Tracker," My First 150 years by Christina Kahler. The life story of
our organ from 1852 - 2002. $5.00
*** Sunday Masterworks. Compact Disc featuring Derek Gordon performing
on the Simmons Organ with the Sanctuary Choir. $15.00
California became the 31st state on September 9, 1850. That same month the Howard Street Presbyterian Church in San Francisco was formed. A new sanctuary was erected by mid-1851, and in 1852, a pipe organ adorned the worship services. The hand-pumped instrument was constructed in Boston by Wm. B. D. Simmons (possibly in 1846) and sent by ship around Cape Horn. It was the first American-built organ to be found West of the Mississippi River.
The organ was restored in 1977 by Manual Rosales and Associates of Los Angeles. Several tenor-clef stops were enhanced with bass octaves. Each manual was provided with a mixture. The original 13 Sub-Bass pipes were augmented to 30. A 1992-93 project incorporated tonal adaptation and finishing and completed the pedal division.
Today the Simmons/Rosales tracker-action organ is housed at the Los Altos United Methodist Church in Long Beach. It retains the authentic keys, bellow, wind chests, pipes and primarily the same appearance that it had in 1852. It is a registered Historic Landmark with the City of Long Beach and with the Organ Historical Society of America.
©2005 Los Altos United Methodist Church