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Ernest M. Skinner

Ernest Martin Skinner (January 15, 1866 – November 26/27, 1960) was an American pipe organ builder.[1] His electro-pneumatic switching systems advanced the technology of organ building in the first part of the 20th century.[2]

Ernest Martin Skinner

Ernest Martin Skinner

(1866-01-15)January 15, 1866
Clarion, Pennsylvania, U.S.

November 26, 1960(1960-11-26) (aged 94)

Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

Pipe organ builder

The Life and Work of Ernest M. Skinner — Dorothy Holden published by The Organ Historical Society, 1985

Stop, Open and Reed published by The Organ Historical Society, 1997

All the Stops: The Glorious Pipe Organ and Its American Masters — Craig R. Whitney published by PublicAffairs a member of the Perseus Books Group

The American Classic Organ: A History in Letters — Charles Callahan published by The Organ Historical Society, 1990

The Modern Organ-- Ernest M. Skinner published by the H.W. Gray Co., 1917

, an organ building primer written by Skinner, originally planned for release in 1951, but completed by his son Richmond and released in 1981.

The Composition of the Organ

Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia. Charlottesville, VA. 1906, Opus 127. (oldest surviving E.M. Skinner Organ in original condition)

Cleveland, OH. 1907, Opus 140. Removed in 1997, pipework dispersed to several builders. New instrument created in 2021 by the Muller Pipe Organ Company, combining Aeolian-Skinner Opus 1188 (originally built for St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond VA) and Skinner Opus 245 (originally built for Church of the Transfiguration, Cleveland OH)[14]

Trinity Cathedral (Episcopal)

Harvard Divinity School, Andover Chapel, Cambridge, MA. 1911, Opus 184

Williams College, Grace Hall, Williamstown, MA. 1911, Opus 195. Remaining pipework moved to Dunwoody United Methodist Church in Dunwoody, GA in 2019 and combined with another instrument

New York City (Manhattan) 1913, Opus 205. Rebuilt by Aeolian-Skinner in 1955, replaced by new instrument (Dobson) in 2018

St. Thomas Episcopal Church

Finney Chapel, Oberlin OH. 1921, Opus 230. Rebuilt by Aeolian-Skinner in 1955, replaced by new instrument (Fisk) in 2001

Oberlin College

Church of our Father, Universalist (today: First Unitarian Universalist Church) Detroit, MI. 1925, Opus 232

Municipal Auditorium, Portland, OR. 1916, Opus 265. Moved to Alpenrose Dairy Opera House, Portland, OR in 1971

Grove Park Inn Hotel, Asheville, NC. 1919, Opus 295. Moved to First Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, MD in 1929, destroyed 1961

Civic Auditorium, St. Paul, MN. 1921, Opus 308. Moved to , Boston, MA in 1985.

Old South Church

Second Congregational Church (today: The United Congregational Church), Holyoke, MA. 1920, Opus 322

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Evanston, IL. 1922 Opus 327

Cleveland, OH. 1922 Opus 328

Public Auditorium

Garden Court, Cleveland, OH. 1922 Opus 333. Rebuilt by Holtkamp in 1933 and 1946, moved to Museum's new Gartner Auditorium in 1971

Cleveland Museum of Art

New York City (Manhattan). 1923, Opus 408. Rebuilt by Aeolian-Skinner in 1970, removed in 2003, will be replaced by new instrument (Glatter-Götz/Rosales) in 2023.[15]

Trinity Church Wall Street

Los Angeles, CA. 1924, Opus 446

St. John's Episcopal Cathedral

San Francisco, CA. 1924, Opus 455

California Palace of the Legion of Honor

Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church, Detroit, MI. 1924, Opus 475.

Trinity Episcopal Church, San Francisco CA. 1924, Opus 477.

Los Angeles, CA. 1924, Opus 481

Hollywood High School

San Francisco, CA. 1924, Opus 497

Temple Emanu-El

University Auditorium, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. 1924, Opus 501. Rebuilt by Aeolian-Skinner in 1965 and by Möller in 1980 and 1992

New York City (Brooklyn). 1925, Opus 524

St. Ann's and the Holy Trinity Church

Scottish Rite Cathedral (today: Cathedral Theatre) Detroit, MI. 1925, Opus 529

Detroit Masonic Temple

Gallery Organ, Boston, MA 1926, Opus 574

Trinity Episcopal Church

Youngstown, OH. 1926, Opus 582

Stambaugh Auditorium

Toledo, OH. 1926, Opus 603

Toledo Museum of Art

University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. 1927, Opus 634

Rockefeller Chapel

Dayton, OH. 1926, Opus 624

Masonic Temple

New York City (Manhattan). 1927, Opus 651. Used pipework from previous church building, expanded in 1927 and 1930, rebuilt by Aeolian-Skinner in 1937 (West Gallery) and 1953 (Chancel)

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

Los Angeles, CA. 1927, Opus 676

Immanuel Presbyterian Church

Yale University, New Haven, CT. 1928, Opus 722. Made extensive use of pipework from preceding Hutchings-Votey Organ (1902)

Woolsey Hall

Toledo, OH. 1930, Opus 820

Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral

Church of the Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia, PA. 1927, Opus 660. Removed in 1987 and relocated to

Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal

Dayton, OH. 1929, Opus 749

Dayton Art Institute

Old First Presbyterian Church, Columbus, OH. 1929, Opus 773

Cleveland, OH. 1929, Opus 816

Severance Hall

First Presbyterian Church, Passaic, NJ. 1930; transferred in 2013 to Saalkirche in Ingelheim, Germany, Opus 823

Baltimore, MD. 1930, Opus 839

Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church

Los Angeles, CA. 1931, Opus 856.

First Congregational Church

Chapel, Philadelphia, PA. 1931, Opus 872

Girard College

Washington, DC. 1938, Opus 510 (built by the E.M. Skinner&Son firm, this instrument replaced the two-manual Aeolian-Skinner Opus 883 from 1932. Rebuilt by Aeolian-Skinner in 1957, 1962 and 1964, further rebuilding by other firms in 1975 and 1988)

Washington National Cathedral

Calvary Presbyterian Church, Newburgh, NY. 1937, Opus 512 (built by the E.M. Skinner&Son firm. This instrument was removed, completely restored, and reinstalled by Foley Baker, Inc. in 2023.) The organ and its restoration was featured as the cover article of The American Organist, February 2023 issue.