Chevalier Theatre Organ Society

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Chevalier Theatre Organ Society Nonprofit organization working to restore and install a 1922 Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ at Chevalier Theatre in Medford, Mass.

The Chevalier Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ began its life at the RKO Keith’s Theatre in Dayton, Ohio, in 1922. Back then, silent movies needed musical accompaniment, and the theatre pipe organ provided atmospheric music that followed the screen action, complete with sound effects and percussion instruments. The organ is a Wurlitzer Style 210 (Opus 542) Unit Orchestra with two manuals and nine ranks of pipes. Although “talkies” would soon replace silent movies, the Wurlitzer continued to entertain Dayton audiences until 1965 when the Keith’s Theatre was torn down. The organ was saved, however, by Dave Bowers of Troy, Ohio, who installed it in a special building where its rich and exciting sound could be heard until 1986. When the owners of the Troy building decided to sell the property, Bowers stepped in again. Then living in New Hampshire, Bowers purchased the Wurlitzer and donated it to the Pine Tree Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society. Its president, Dorothy Bromage, then orchestrated the move of the organ from Dayton to Maine, where it was stored until the chapter could find a suitable permanent home. That turned out to be Chevalier Theatre, and the organ came to Medford through the help of the Friends of Chevalier Auditorium and Gene Mack Gym.

The Eastern Mass. Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society invites you to its 2026 Annual Meeting, followed by a co...
03/11/2026

The Eastern Mass. Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society invites you to its 2026 Annual Meeting, followed by a concert on the chapter’s Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ by Jonathan Kleefield, resident organist at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester. The event will take place on Sunday, March 22, in Knight Auditorium on the campus of Babson College in Wellesley Hills. The meeting will begin at 2:30 p.m., followed by the concert at 3 p.m. Free admission and open to all.

The Babson College Wurlitzer was first installed in 1926 in Boston's Loew's State Theatre to serve as a background "orchestra" for silent films - a role that ended abruptly in 1929 with the advent of "talking pictures." It was then used infrequently for intermissions, sing-alongs and other special occasions – and gradually fell into a state of disrepair. Ul;timately it sat, abandoned, in the orchestra pit until 1968, when the theatre was closed and slated for demolition. Soon thereafter, "in the shadow of the wrecking ball," a devoted crew of 25 EMCATOS members dismantled and removed the "old gal" to safer quarters – all within 23 hours. She was then lovingly restored by EMCATOS members and re-installed in her present home.

Originally a 3 manual (keyboard) instrument with 13 ranks of pipes, in the mid-‘90s she was enhanced by a 4-manual console (built to Wurlitzer specifications in 1996), a "live" piano, and 5 additional ranks. Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society

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Medford, MA
02155

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+17818356007

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