Columbus, OH
3/67 Schantz
1957
A silent giant. This is what comes to mind when one mentions the three manual, 67 rank Schantz pipe organ inside Mershon Auditorium at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. It is an instrument of substantial size, but for 350 or so days of the year it sits silent behind the artsy metal facade on the left side of the auditorium. Its only use is for a few graduation events in the month of June. Because it is rarely played, most casual visitors to the space do not even know that it exists. Even many local organ aficionados report not remembering the last time they heard it play, or have ever heard it. Yet it perseveres and remains at the ready when called upon to be pressed into service.
These pages serve a two-fold purpose: to show off the instrument, and to maybe rekindle an interest in it again. As the photos will show there's no denying that it is in need of some tender loving care. But all it takes is plan to bring it back into the limelight again, and a desire and resources to carry it out.
Building and Organ History
Mershon Auditorium was completed in April 1957. It was built to provide a much needed larger venue for concerts, plays and other performing arts activities. According to university records, the building bears the name of Ralph D. Mershon, an 1890 graduate of Ohio State who left a sizable amount of money to the institution. Some of the funds he left were used to build the auditorium. However the university has never officially named the building "Mershon Auditorium". The auditorium seats 2,477 in two levels. Click here for some additional information about the building.
The auditorium's pipe organ was built by the Schantz Organ Company of Orrville, OH and was completed in late 1957. The instrument was designed by former Ohio State University faculty member Dr. Wilbur Held. When plans were announced to build a new auditorium, Dr. Held was contacted to design an instrument for the space. At the time the auditorium's capacity was closer to 3,300 seats.
Dr. Held became the head of the Keyboard Department in 1946 and kept the title for over 30 years. While at the university, Dr. Held established an Organ Department, something the university did not have at the time. Today, despite the enormous size of the university, the School of Music no longer has an Organ Department nor does it have a degree specializing in Organ. For more information about Dr. Held, check out this article from the March 2008 issue of "The American Organist."
In 1969 several changes were made to the organ. A few ranks of pipes were added and some ranks were extended in pitch. Other ranks were adjusted tonally to have a brighter sound which was becoming more popular at the time. No significant changes have been made since.
The organ's sound probably is best classified as "American Classic", an organ sound that was popular during the time the organ was built. The American Classic sound attempted to find a middle ground between the warm, orchestral Romantic organ sound and the European Baroque sound which emphasized clarity and brightness. This organ leans slightly more toward the Baroque side of the spectrum.
Credits and Links
Thanks to Bill Barto, Stage Manager at Mershon Auditorium for his assistance with access to the instrument. Thanks also to Michael Herzog of Peebles-Herzog Pipe Organs for linking me to Bill, as well as Michael Lauffer of Peebles-Herzog for encouraging me to put this on my list of pipe organs to profile. Additional thanks goes to Schantz, Clark Wilson and Chad Boorsma of the Organ Historical Society for providing technical information about the instrument.
