St. John's Parish Church
Black River, Jamaica

1915 Spurden-Rutt - 2 manaul, 14 rank

Located on the southwestern coast of Jamaica approximately 30 miles east of Nigril, the town of Black River was at the turn of the century, the pulse of commerce within the colonized sector overseen by the British Empire. Utilizing the Black River as a primary source of transportation as it flowed from the Blue Mountains from deep within the interior of the island and emptied into the Atlantic Ocean, farmers were able to deliver vast amounts of sugar, tobacco, and coffee directly to this major port. By 1912 this little town had become a symbol of cosmopolitan thinking and industrial organization. Black River could now boast of having the first automobile found on the island and the first town with central electricity.

At the peak of this industrial colonization also came symbols of gratitude to God in the form of gifts to the local Anglican Church of St. John. During the 1st. World War in 1915, Spurden-Rutt Ltd. Organbuilders of London, provided a fine instrument at a cost of £600 pounds. The instrument consisted of 13 stops, and they encased it in a magnificent Honduran Mahogany façade.

Located just 200 yards from the ocean, this magnificent instrument had survived remarkably intact in spite of unfortunate changes in the local economy, and though it had suffered somewhat from benign neglect, its rugged construction still enabled it to serve faithfully from Sunday to Sunday.

In 1998 Patrick J. Murphy & Associates, Inc. were engaged to renovate this venerable instrument. The bellows were removed, crated and shipped to our workshop for complete overhaul. The hand pump mechanism and feeders were restored and all parts were returned to Black River in February of 1998. PJM & Assoc., Inc. restoration specialists Matthew Farrell, Patrick Murphy, and Clement Mirto were assisted by Organ Clearing House associates Amory Atkins and Josh Wood for the week-long job of cleaning and reinstallation. Upon reinstallation of bellows, other tasks of restoration were performed. This included cleaning away years of dirt and bat guano; installation of new tuning collars for the Great pipes; re-leathering of the pedal tubular key action; installation of a new blower windline to include a back-check valve so that the instrument can be winded by hand or electric blower; and a complete tuning. The congregation is now once again proud of this venerable instrument having invested us with this responsibility and installing a new organist who has ascended to the position in the gallery that was faithfully served by the previous organist for over 40 years.

The organ, located in a fine three-sided balcony, enjoys excellent acoustics, and provides a full bold sound characteristic of the late 19th century.

We are proud of this project and invite anyone traveling to the island to view this instrument. This quaint colonial town is an example of laid-back hospitality, complete with lovely ocean views and breezes, crocodiles, genuine friendliness, and a musically intriguing pipe organ.