History of Trinity’s Organs
- 1839: 2 Reed Organs were brought over on the ships from Germany. (one ship sank with 1 Reed Organ)
- 1846-50: A Metz Organ was installed at Trinity Lutheran Church when it was first located at 3rd & Lombard. The Metz organ was a 1 manual, tracker organ. The Metz organ was sold when Trinity relocated and needed a larger organ. The Metz organ still exists and is located at San Salvator Lutheran Church in Venedy, IL.
- 1864: The larger Pfeffer Organ was installed at Trinity Lutheran Church when it relocated to 8th & Soulard. The organ was a 2 manual, tracker organ located in the back balcony.
- 1898: A Kilgen Organ was installed after the 1896 tornado and the rebuilding of Trinity. It was a 2 manual, tracker organ installed in the front balcony. It was slightly more modest in size compared to the previous organ and reused the remaining Pfeffer pipework that survived the tornado.
- 1928: The Kilgen Organ was refurbished and modernized. The organ now consisted of 26 ranks. It was changed to a detached, 3 manual, electro-pneumatic console. It was revoiced from a more Baroque sound to a more Romantic organ sound.
- 2014: The current Schantz Organ is installed. It is a 52 rank organ with a newly added Gallery Organ. The three manual, movable console is again located in the back balcony. Many of the Pfeffer and Kilgen pipes were reused and combined with the new pipework