Save the Prante Pipe Organ

   In 1899, Louisville, KY organbuilder August Prante would install what would be his last completed instrument in St. Philip Neri Catholic Church. Shortly afterward, he died tragically in a buggy accident in downtown Louisville. Fast-forward to a century later, and all but a handful of his instruments were either altered significantly or removed, for one reason or another. The St. Philip Neri organ was one of the exceptional instruments which escaped this fate, and remains perfectly intact as the builder left it.

   Sitting forgotten and unused in the balcony of St. Philip Neri for decades, the 1899 Prante pipe organ was re-discovered by two local organ enthusiasts in the 1970's. In this case, the organ had "luckily" been forgotten about during the changing liturgical scene of the 1960's. Also luckily, one of the enthusiasts so happened to be an influential member of the Organ Historical Society, who helped bring the forgotten instrument back in to the light, encouraging restorative work to be completed on the instrument so it could reliably make music again. The organ was then awarded a citation by the Organ Historical Society, declaring that it was an instrument of note, and worthy of careful preservation.

   When St. Philip Neri closed in the late 1990's, the fate of the organ became uncertain. It was eventually relocated to Holy Trinity Church in Louisville, which unfortunately proved to be a merely temporary situation. The organ went into storage in 2012. In 2013, news reached the organ community that the storage facility was closing, and a group of organists and organ-builders volunteered to move the organ to a local venue, which, though seeming to be a promising situation at first, proved to not be viable. The organ is now in a storage facility in Fern Valley (Louisville, KY).

   Currently, there are a few problems with the instrument which will have to be addressed prior to erection; though, strictly speaking, it is in "playable" condition. Be that as it may, the instrument is still in wonderful shape, and such a rare gem most worthy of preservation.

   My hope is to find a venue which will host this splendid and fine instrument in a manner befitting its historic character. The organ is a fine example of the quality organ-building of it's time, and deserves to be cherished, played regularly, and made available for display and study to those who appreciate it.

   In the meantime, I need to ensure the viability of the safe storage of the instrument. At this time I am the sole owner of the instrument. Currently, the storage fees are being paid by the former venue, though they have threatened to cease doing so.  At this time, my firm can neither relocate the instrument, nor assume the exhorbitant cost of the current storage units.

   Any options which present themselves will be carefully considered based on the viability of the venue itself, and the degree of enthusiasm and responsibility the venue is willing to accept concerning the instrument. Any serious inquiries are welcome to contact m through my professional facebook page: D.C. Schroth Organ Builders Facebook Page.

   My credentials: I am a full-time organ builder in good standing in the city of Louisville. References can be had on request.

   You can also view progress and updates on the organ on the Save the Prante Pipe Organ Facebook Page.