Fortnightly Club
donation boosts Chevalier organ fund
A donation from the Medford Thursday Fortnightly Club has
lifted the Chevalier Theatre Organ Society’s Mighty Wurlitzer Restoration Fund drive past the $18,000 mark.
The Fortnightly Club, a women’s philanthropic organization
founded in 1920, recently made a $500 contribution to the campaign, which now stands at $18,440.00. That represents One
Third of the $55,000 needed to purchase replacement parts for the 1922 Mighty Wurlitzer theatre pipe organ the organ society
is restoring for installation at Chevalier Theatre in Medford Square.
“We are delighted to receive this donation from the
Thursday Fortnightly Club, with which we feel a special connection,” said Ken Krause, president of the Chevalier Theatre
Organ Society. “It’s very likely that the club’s founding members would have enjoyed theatre pipe organ
performances during the instrument’s heyday in the 1920s, possibly at the Fellsway Theatre, which featured a theatre
pipe organ. The club’s gift will advance our restoration efforts and help us preserve the legacy of the theatre pipe
organ in Medford.”
The Chevalier organ was saved from the wrecking ball at a
theatre in Dayton, Ohio, in the mid-1960s. It was owned by private parties for about 30 years, then eventually was donated
to the city-owned Chevalier Theatre. The Chevalier Theatre Organ Society was formed to perform the restoration and installation
and to raise all necessary funds.
When installed and playing, the Mighty Wurlitzer will be one
of just seven of its kind in public venues in Massachusetts and will be used for concerts, school music education programs
and performances, and other events.
Photos of the organ restoration underway may be seen on the
Web at www.chevaliertheatreorgansociety.org. The site also has information about how to donate to the Mighty Wurlitzer Restoration Fund, become a society
member, or get involved in the restoration work.
More information also is available by calling Krause at 781-874-0920.
