Wangerin Organ Company
Encyclopedia
The Wangerin Organ Company was a manufacturer of pipe organ
s based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. It was also known as the Wangerin-Weickhardt and Hann-Wangerin-Weickhardt company. Many of their organs are still being played in churches today.
During World War I, the Wangerin-Weickhardt Company expanded its product line to include wooden airplane parts. During World War II, a similar production shift occurred.
During the theater organ
boom in the 1920’s, the Barton Organ Company
of Oshkosh, Wisconsin could not keep up with the production demand. The Wangerin factory stepped in to assist Barton and provided space as a second manufacturing facility during these years.
Other Milwaukee pipe organ builders included the Schuelke Organ Company
, Verlinden, and Besch.
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
s based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. It was also known as the Wangerin-Weickhardt and Hann-Wangerin-Weickhardt company. Many of their organs are still being played in churches today.
During World War I, the Wangerin-Weickhardt Company expanded its product line to include wooden airplane parts. During World War II, a similar production shift occurred.
During the theater organ
Theatre organ
A theatre organ is a pipe organ originally designed specifically for imitation of an orchestra. New designs have tended to be around some of the sounds and blends unique to the instrument itself....
boom in the 1920’s, the Barton Organ Company
Barton Organ Company
The Barton Organ Company was an American pipe organ manufacturer during the age of silent movies. The company was founded by Dan Barton, who was from Amherst, Wisconsin. The fifth largest builder of theater instruments in the nation, Barton focused almost exclusively on the Midwest market...
of Oshkosh, Wisconsin could not keep up with the production demand. The Wangerin factory stepped in to assist Barton and provided space as a second manufacturing facility during these years.
Other Milwaukee pipe organ builders included the Schuelke Organ Company
Schuelke Organ Company
The Schuelke Organ Company was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based pipe organ builder. Schuelke Organs operated in the later 19th and early 20th centuries....
, Verlinden, and Besch.
Some Wangerin organ locations
- Madison Masonic Center (Madison, WI) - 1925
- Holy Cross Church (Kaukauna, Wisconsin)Holy Cross Church (Kaukauna, Wisconsin)Holy Cross Church is a Roman Catholic church in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 29, 1984.-Former pastors:...
- Sacred Heart Catholic ChurchSacred Heart Catholic Church (Dubuque)Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church in Dubuque, Iowa. It is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque and located at 2215 Windsor Ave. The parish was one of the locations where the movie F.I.S.T. starring Sylvester Stallone was filmed....
, Dubuque, IowaDubuque, IowaDubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
. - Saint John's United Church of Christ; Monroe, Wisconsin, 1923
- Saint Joseph's Catholic Church, Mason City, IowaMason City, IowaMason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties....
. - Saint Martin's Catholic ChurchSaint Martin's Catholic Church (Cascade)Saint Martin's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Dubuque County, Iowa community of Cascade, Iowa. It is the primary parish for the Catholic residents of Cascade, and is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.-History:...
, Cascade, IowaCascade, IowaCascade is a city in Dubuque County and Jones County, Iowa, United States. The Dubuque County portion is part of Dubuque Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Jones County portion is part of Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,958 at the 2000 census, but is now...
. This organ was originally in Saint Mary's Catholic ChurchSaint Mary's Catholic Church (Cascade)Saint Mary's Catholic Church is a former Roman Catholic parish located in the town of Cascade, Iowa. It was built to accommodate the German residents of the city, while the nearby Saint Martin's was established for the Irish residents....
, also in Cascade. It was refurbished and reinstalled at St. Martin's Church, as St. Mary's was closed. - St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
- Saint Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Peter, Minnesota), 1939. (Replaced in 1983 by current J. Walker Organ from Essex, England).
- St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Parts of this instrument were incorporated into the new organ by Dobson in the present CathedralCathedral of Our Lady of the AngelsThe Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, also called "COLA" and the Los Angeles Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles, California, United States...
. - St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). (Schulke/Wangerin/Erickson)
- St. Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin). (Schulke/Wangerin/Verlinden/Sipe)
- Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. (Barckhoff/Wangerin) - St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran ChurchSt. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, or Iglesia Luterana San Pedro, is a church located in the Walker's Point neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.- History :...
, Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. (Wangerin/Verlinden)