Historic Pipe Organ Steals the Show at San Jose Church
SAN JOSE (KPIX) -- A San Jose church is breathing new life into a century-old silent movie theater pipe organ, even as the instrument aids an effort to rebuild the church and keep serving the community.
Grace Baptist Church saved the organ to play hymns when the church was formed in the 1940s.
"This organ was headed for the dustbin of history," said Pastor George Oliver.
It was built in 1922 and installed in the old Liberty Movie Theatre on Market Street in downtown San Jose, where it provided the dramatic soundtrack for silent pictures.
But all that came to an end when the silent-movie era died in the 1930s
Pastor Oliver says his predecessors built their church around the organ's massive pipes.
"This church, during a time of war, took on the organ and the challenge of building a church and we still have both here today," explained the pastor.
The intricate, two-ton wood and steel instrument takes up an entire back room.
It's still played for services almost every day.
"You could hear a hymn that you've heard your whole life -- "How Great Thou Art" -- but it comes to life in a new way. You see the stars and hear the thunder," Oliver said.
Now the organ is about to once again take center stage for a series of special events.
There will be concerts and silent movie nights to help raise money for church renovations, organ preservation, and to expand its services for the poor.
Pastor Oliver hopes to build housing on its back lot for unhoused San Jose State students since the campus is just across the street.
"We want to sound this organ for justice and the way that we can do justice by this organ is preserving it," he said.
So the music will play on with a relic of the past, trumpeting a path into the church's future.
