Objects Record
Images
Additional Images [14]
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2015.26.1 |
Object Name |
Melodeon |
Title |
Melodeon, St. George's Anglican Church, Arthur Palmer, 1832 |
Date |
1832 |
Year Range from |
1832 |
Year Range to |
1832 |
Description |
Melodeon made by Phelps & Chase, Syracuse, brought to Guelph by Reverend Arthur Palmer, 1832 When closed the melodeon has a flat top and is curved at the front left and right corners. Running along the front and sides is a carved detail of two parallel lines. The legs and back of the melodeon have been covered in a dark wood veneer. The top of the organ is made from two pieces of wood and is hinged in the middle to reveal the keys. A decoratively carved sheet music holder can be folded up along the top. Above the keys in the centre is a stencilled maker's mark for "Phelps & Case, Syracuse." Reverend Arthur Palmer brought this melodeon to Guelph when he immigrated from Ireland in 1832. He was the first rector of St. George's Anglican Church in Guelph and would later become Archdeacon of Toronto. Upon his arrival to Guelph, Palmer quickly directed the construction of St. George's Church. Palmer constructed the famous Guelph home, Tyrcathlen (Later Ker Cavan) and continued to own it until his retirement in 1875. |
Notes |
Historic Context: St. George's Church In 1827, John Galt (1779-1839) designated the rising ground in the centre of the Square as a site for the Church of England. The first St. George's Church was built from frame and stucco in 1833-34. A new stone church on the same site was only partially completed in 1850. Following protracted negotiations between the Church, the Town Council, and Wyndham Street merchants, this building was demolished in 1872 and the present St. George's Church erected on Woolwich Street. Moving the location eliminated the detour around the church and permitted traffic through the central axis of the city. The rectory of the new church was built in 1879. In the first 125 years of the parish (1834-1969, only 6 rectors had been in service. By 1987, there had been only 9. Updated 2024 |
People |
Palmer, Arthur |
Search Terms |
St. George's Church |
Subjects |
ARTS - MUSIC HISTORY - LOCAL MUSIC - INSTRUMENTS RELIGION - CHURCHES |
Dimensions |
H-83.5 W-64.6 L-127.3 cm |
Collection |
Artifacts |