Show OLDEST ORGAN IN EXISTENCE winchester N H has ancient mu instrument the oldest pipe organ in existence in this country and the third one to make its app earan e in america Is lo 10 bated in winchester N H the instrument was dollt by henry pratt a native ot winchester who like his father was a carpenter by trade it chanced that in the year at 19 ears of age he went with his father to assist in building a church in hudson N Y while there he ob talked a draft of an organ in that lo 10 calaty which had been brought over from england this draft pratt took home with him and showed it to one of the most prominent of winchesters citizens capt smith the captain at once evinced intense interest and made the following proposition to pratt it ou will build the organ I 1 will give ou a bushel of rye per day while you are building it and it you succeed in making an acceptable instrument 1 will pay you additional pratt began work immediately and year later in the summer of 1789 he finished the organ after due con I 1 ilder atlon it was pronounced a sue ess and vas accepted and paid for by capt smith who at once presented t to the citizens of winchester it was first used by the Con grega society the only denomination town holding service at that time for about sixty it was in con stant use by either the congregation illets or the the organ has five stops namely stop diapason open ciapa son and the and lave metal pipes made from the lead aken from tea chests all the other pipes are constructed of old growth pine of which there used to be large in the region of winches er the keys were formerly of magog with a narrow strip of ivory run ling through the top of the sharps in the center of the natural leys were pieces of ivory about halt an inch organ at winchester N H square these were replaced by more modern keys when the argan was re there was a foot pedal to blow it with |