Dismantling Skinner Organ


The attic area over the central 1940 section of the estate house at Welkinweir holds 1700 organ pipes, the bellows machinery and wind tunnels for its Skinner pipe organ. The organ sound is projected downward through an ornamental wooden grill insert in the ceiling above the entrance foyer. In the 1920s a Skinner player organ represented the height of modernism and an equivalent of today’s home entertainment center. This week Sean O’Donnell Associates of Boston dismantled the organ to begin its restoration. The photos offer a glimpse into what makes up a Skinner organ. Thanks to Sean for providing the informative descriptions, which you see when hovering over an image. As usual, clicking on a photo will show a larger view and start a slideshow of the images.