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180:, Germany. It arrived in the US from Europe in March 1863, with installation completed in November 1863. It was at the time believed to be the largest pipe organ in the United States. Since then the count has gone up to its present 6,088 pipes and 84 registers. It was the first concert organ in the United States and was installed at the
411:, private and public gatherings, corporate events and other performances. As a venue, it offers the unusual characteristic of looking like a traditional church while having no religious symbolism or affiliation. The Hall is currently open from early spring through December, finishing the season with a fan favorite holiday concert.
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to sell the property in order to pay mortgages held by the
Andrews and Skinner's son, Richmond H. Skinner. In June 1943, a fire destroyed the organ factory building, but the music hall was largely undamaged. In July, the mortgage sale was completed, with Essex Savings Bank buying the property at
213:
was founded, and the Boston Music Hall was their first home. The orchestra required a lot of space for the performers. With the rise in popularity of orchestral concerts, interest in organ recitals declined. The organ was removed to storage in 1884 and then sold for $ 5,000 to
William O. Grover.
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The hall is designed in a similar fashion to a church, having a cross shaped floorplan; a long central aisle ends at a stage in front of the pipe organ; including the organ, the hall is approximately 100 feet (30 m) long. Another aisle runs across the front of the stage area and out to the
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The Great Organ is the center piece of the Hall and the 15-week Summer Organ
Concert series represents the flagship events of the season in addition to piano, vocal, and instrumental performances. The Hall is frequently rented for
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In 1930, part of the property including the hall was purchased by
Lillian Wightman Andrew (1882-1961), wife of local banker Francis Martin Andrew (1880–1967). In 1931, the hall was purchased by noted organbuilder
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where the vault of the ceiling meets the top of the walls. The total enclosed volume is over 300,000 cubic feet (8,500 m), which gives a reverberation time of 4 seconds when the hall is empty.
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caused the failure of the company, and in August 1942 the company assets, including the music hall, were transferred to trustees Arthur T. Wasserman and
Matthew Brown as protection from creditors.
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In May 1946, eight local residents founded a charitable organization to buy and maintain the music hall, operating it as a cultural center. In 1947 the
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After the hall's completion, it was used privately by
Searles until his death in 1920. It then passed to Searles' secretary, Arthur Thomas Walker, as
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was engaged to rebuild the organ. The tonal structure of the organ was changed and a new detached console was added.
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The
History of American Music: With Twelve Full Page Photogravures and One Hundred and Two Illustrations in the Text
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in
Washington, D.C. The National Cathedral was designed by Henry Vaughan, who designed the music hall. The
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245:. The walls are over three feet thick with interior air gaps, making the building quite soundproof.
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Under
Skinner's ownership, there were public choral and organ performances which included works by
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This business initially prospered, building several notable pipe organs including the one for the
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with brocade panels which in addition to their decorative appearance are placed to absorb excess
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hides indirect lighting which illuminates and reflects off the ceiling. There is also a
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234:. Probably no other building of this size has been built solely to house a pipe organ.
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of New York, for whom
Searles had once worked, and is based on a case design by
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337:. Walker died in 1927, leaving the hall to his niece, Ina Cecil McEachran of
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts
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Event venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
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306:. The lower 10 feet (3.0 m) of wall surface are finished with dark
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Methuen, Massachusetts
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The exterior is brick in an Anglo-Dutch style, with an Italianate
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129:. The hall was completed in 1909, and stands at 192 Broadway in
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National Register of Historic Places in Methuen, Massachusetts
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extend to 70 feet (21 m), and the pipe organ is in the
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Organ in its original installation at the Boston Music Hall
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U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
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In 1943, a court decree allowed the Essex Savings Bank of
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in an alternating color scheme of reddish-brown and gray.
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199:. The display pipes were manufactured from burnished
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Grover probably intended to donate the organ to the
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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Cinematreasures discussion of the Boston Music Hall
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1088:Buildings and structures in Methuen, Massachusetts
275:65 feet (20 m) high. Beneath the vault is an
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226:In 1899, Searles hired noted church architect
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1093:Individual pipe organs in the United States
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249:sides; this is 70 feet (21 m) wide.
121:to house "The Great Organ", a very large
35:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
290:The interior is designed in an English
449:. New York: Macmillan Co. p. 188.
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364:, with recitals by organists including
260:is 40 feet (12 m) wide while the
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172:"The Great Organ" was built by the
294:style. It draws particularly from
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300:Church of Saint Stephen, Walbrook
216:New England Conservatory of Music
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157:The then-new organ installed at
1103:Music venues completed in 1909
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1083:Music venues in Massachusetts
445:Elson, Louis Charles (1904).
396:Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company
125:that had been built for the
16:United States historic place
981:National Historic Landmarks
467:Methuen Memorial Music Hall
313:. The walls above that are
187:The organ case was made of
111:Methuen Memorial Music Hall
52:Methuen Memorial Music Hall
27:Methuen Memorial Music Hall
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976:Cape Cod National Seashore
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256:church architecture, the
241:and a gable with baroque
211:Boston Symphony Orchestra
88:NRHP reference
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1030:United States portal
1059:42.724856°N 71.185158°W
527:Keeper of the Register
391:auction for $ 55,000.
252:In the terminology of
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119:Edward Francis Searles
64:Methuen, Massachusetts
1064:42.724856; -71.185158
542:National Park Service
522:Contributing property
349:for a mere $ 10,000.
189:American black walnut
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174:E.F Walcker Company
377:National Cathedral
298:'s design for the
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167:Bierstadt Brothers
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113:, initially named
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658:Barnstable County
532:Historic district
347:Ernest M. Skinner
335:residuary legatee
321:. The floors are
182:Boston Music Hall
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127:Boston Music Hall
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296:Christopher Wren
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228:Henry Vaughan
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101:Added to NRHP
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705:Essex County
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366:Marcel Dupré
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61:192 Broadway
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964:Other lists
924:Southbridge
804:Marlborough
758:Springfield
691:New Bedford
277:entablature
271:There is a
178:Ludwigsburg
1077:Categories
1050:71°11′07″W
1047:42°43′29″N
854:Winchester
829:Somerville
789:Framingham
717:Gloucester
686:Fall River
665:Barnstable
572:Barnstable
432:References
123:pipe organ
934:Worcester
870:Brookline
839:Wakefield
794:Lexington
779:Cambridge
774:Arlington
637:Worcester
617:Nantucket
612:Middlesex
607:Hampshire
577:Berkshire
262:transepts
254:Christian
239:campanile
165:image by
141:The Organ
78:Architect
1006:Category
929:Uxbridge
906:southern
901:northern
834:Stoneham
824:Sherborn
727:Lawrence
641:northern
627:Plymouth
597:Franklin
455:55551750
415:See also
409:weddings
388:Lawrence
311:paneling
95:78000462
58:Location
971:Bridges
939:eastern
844:Waltham
819:Reading
809:Medford
784:Concord
737:Methuen
722:Ipswich
712:Andover
696:Taunton
670:Harwich
632:Suffolk
622:Norfolk
602:Hampden
582:Bristol
339:Detroit
329:History
315:plaster
292:baroque
285:catwalk
281:cornice
266:chancel
243:volutes
201:Cornish
191:by the
161:, in a
131:Methuen
986:Boston
896:Boston
880:Quincy
875:Milton
849:Weston
814:Newton
799:Lowell
515:Topics
453:
362:Handel
360:, and
354:Brahms
323:marble
304:London
279:whose
742:Salem
592:Essex
587:Dukes
302:, in
70:Built
732:Lynn
451:OCLC
368:and
358:Bach
258:nave
73:1909
308:oak
204:tin
176:of
90:No.
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639:(
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