 |
The organ was originally installed in the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville, VA in 1930. In the 1940's, Fire destroyed the original WurliTzer console.
Both Wurlitzer and Kimball were asked to bid on the the  replacement console. Kimball was the low bidder and installed the console that
we see today. The organ was purchased in the 1960's by Mr. Hugh Cummings of Burlington, NC. under the urging of Mr. George Anthony. Mr Anthony, a charter member and Secretary/ Treasurer of PTOS removed the
organ from the theater in the back of his station wagon one load at a time and stored it in Burlington, NC .
In 1974, Mr. Cummings donated the organ to Elon College with the stipulation that PTOS would install it. The organ was installed in the War Memorial
Gymnasium at Elon College located in Elon College, NC where it was played for athletic events and public concerts. The Gymnasium was razed in 1984 to provide space for a new building. At that time, the organ was
given to PTOS and it was removed and again put in storage.
On August 31, 1989, Mrs. Mary Beth Rainero from the Paramount Foundation contacted PTOS
to see if PTOS would consider installing an organ in the Paramount Center. On October 29, 1989, a 48 foot tractor trailer pulled up at H.P. King Co. building in Bristol with the organ where it was
stored, rebuilt and later installed in the Paramount Center. On April 18, 1993, The organ was introduced to the public by Lee Erwin and "The Phantom of the Opera". Since then, the organ
has been refined and regulated. The original WurliTzer relay has been replace by a Uniflex 2000 Electronic Relay System. The organ is used for concerts, public meetings, before stage shows
and movies and to play for silent movies.
|
