Wangerin Organ Company

Updated on Jan 11, 2024

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Headquarters Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

The Wangerin Organ Company was a manufacturer of pipe organs based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was also known as the Wangerin-Weickhardt and Hann-Wangerin-Weickhardt company. Many of its organs are still played in churches today.

During World War I and World War II, the Wangerin-Weickhardt Company expanded its product line to include wooden airplane parts and other war-related goods.

During the theater organ boom in the 1920s, when the Barton Organ Company of Oshkosh, Wisconsin could not keep up with the production demand, the Wangerin factory stepped in to provide space as a second manufacturing facility.

Some Wangerin organ locations

Holy Cross Church (Kaukauna, Wisconsin)

Madison Masonic Center (Madison, Wisconsin) - 1925

Freeport Masonic Temple (Freeport, Illinois) - 1928 two small organs (two manual 9 stop) and one large organ (3 manual, 32 stop)

St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (Schuelke/Wangerin/Erickson)

Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (Barckhoff/Wangerin)

St. Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (Schuelke/Wangerin/Verlinden/Sipe)

St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) (Wangerin,1913 / Verlinden, 1949)

St. Stephen Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)

Saint John's United Church of Christ (Monroe, Wisconsin) - 1923

Mosinee United Methodist Church (Mosinee, Wisconsin) - 1928

Saint Martin's Catholic Church (Cascade, Iowa) Originally in Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Cascade, this organ was refurbished and installed at St. Martin's Church when St. Mary's was closed.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Dubuque, Iowa)

Saint Joseph's Catholic Church (Mason City, Iowa)

Saint Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Peter, Minnesota) - 1939 (Replaced in 1983 by J. Walker Organ from Essex, England) The Walker organ was subsequently damaged in the 1998 tornado and it was sent back to Walker to be rebuilt. As of 2014 it stands in the balcony of the new church built following the tornado. The pedal division, formerly at the floor behind the swell, is now elevated to provide a walkway behind the organ.

St. Vibiana's Cathedral (Los Angeles) Parts of this instrument were incorporated into the new organ by Dobson in the present Cathedral.

St. Louis Catholic Church (Caledonia, Wisconsin)

Wesley United Methodist Church (Ottumwa, Iowa)

St. John's Lutheran Church (Woodstock, Illinois)

St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)

St Mary's Church (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)

St. Louis Catholic Church (Washburn, Wisconsin)

References

Wangerin Organ Company Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA