Norberto Guinaldo Bells of Bethlehem

As one travels the John F. Kennedy Expressway on the north side of downtown Chicago, one can count the towers of five impressive church edifices that comprise the principal history of Chicago’s Polish Catholics. The heart of Chicago’s “Polonia,” the neighborhoods nearby, has been home to a large number of immigrants who came to the United States from Poland or are of Polish descent. In 1950, Chicago had the largest Polish population outside the city of Warsaw. Today, Polish is the third most frequently heard language in this city, behind English and Spanish.

Muller Pipe Organ Company, Croton, Ohio; Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Church, Toledo, Ohio

Quite understandably, the Muller Pipe Organ Company is sometimes mistaken for the now defunct M. P. Möller Organ Company. We have answered countless emails and phone calls from across the country that begin with “We have one of your organs from . . .,” and we very politely explain that we are not the same company. It is possible the confusion may have been magnified had our ancestors decided to keep the umlaut over the “u”!

Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, Hartville, Ohio; Main Street United Methodist Church, Abbeville, South Carolina

Working in the South has its advantages. The climate can be most pleasant, but the main attraction is its people. Southern hospitality is real, and the folks at Main Street United Methodist Church certainly showed this to us in great measure.

Lewtak Pipe Organ Builders, Mocksville, North Carolina; Haymount United Methodist Church, Fayetteville, North Carolina

In our previous cover features in The Diapason and The American Organist, we exclusively showcased our own work. However, this time, we aim to spotlight another crucial aspect of our business endeavors—high-quality organ renovations and additions to existing instruments. These projects constitute nearly half of our workload and are just as essential to us as our new builds.