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Historic Kimbell organ headed to Saint Thomas Episcopal Church; restoration progressing
Summary
Council received an update on restoration of a Kimbell Opus 7133 organ for Saint Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church: structural and HVAC retrofits completed, organ builder assembling pipes, and the earliest public use was discussed as late summer (schedule dependent).
Council heard progress on the restoration and installation of a historic Kimbell organ (Opus 7133) destined for Saint Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church.
Evan Stone described the multi-stage restoration: the project required retrofitting a choir loft and storage area to house roughly 4,000 pipes, rerouting HVAC and electrical systems, double drywalling to provide proper acoustic resonance, and replacing century‑old wiring that is out of current code. A project manager on hand showed photos of the construction and explained that the organ builder — described as the only organ builder of this type in the Houston area — is installing pipes on site and that additional rewiring will be necessary.
Stone and staff said the organ was built in 1927 and that care is being taken to preserve the instrument’s historic character; the committee is engaging with regional organ programs at Rice University and the University of Houston and anticipates public recitals and student performances once the instrument is playable. Project timing has shifted due to the organ builder’s schedule (holiday and seasonal tuning responsibilities), and the committee estimated the earliest public availability in late summer, subject to the builder’s timeline.
The committee is also researching festivals and other ways to attract visitors and link the organ installation to local hospitality partners. Council thanked the project team for fundraising and project coordination.
