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Pipe Organs of Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley
Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley have pipe organs in churches, chapels, schools, an auditorium and private homes. Their histories include instruments by Aeolian-Skinner, Casavant, Möller, Reuter and Wicks, alongside work by Southern California builders such as Edwin A. Spencer, Landon, Abbott & Sieker and Rosales.
Some venues have more than one organ. Others have instruments rebuilt or altered over several generations, with different builders responsible for the pipework, console and controls.
Craftsman provides pipe organ tuning, repair and restoration in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley.
Notable Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley pipe organs
The following examples come from Organ Historical Society records reviewed in October 2026. Specifications belong to the dated entries shown and may differ from the instruments today. A rank is a set of pipes; it is not necessarily the same as a stop.
| Instrument | Builder and date in the cited record | Recorded ranks |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Avenue Congregational Church, Pasadena | Casavant, Opus 3656, 1989 | 125 |
| Pasadena Presbyterian Church | Schantz, Opus 2221, 2003; earlier attribution: Aeolian-Skinner, 1957 | 111 |
| All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena | Schlicker, 1962 | 82 |
| First United Methodist Church, Pasadena | Manuel Rosales & Associates, Opus 1, 1974; earlier attribution: Aeolian-Skinner, 1955 | 65 |
| Dr. Raymond B. Mixsell residence, Pasadena | Aeolian-Skinner, Opus 893, 1932 | 54 |
| Holliston Avenue Methodist Church, Pasadena | Landon, 1967; earlier attribution: J. W. Steere & Sons, 1901 | 51 |
| First Church of Christ, Scientist, Pasadena | Kenneth R. Simpson & Co., 1967; earlier attribution: Murray M. Harris, 1909 | 51 |
| First Church of Christ, Scientist, Pasadena | Rosales, 2017; earlier attribution: Murray M. Harris, 1909 | Not recorded |
| First Church of Christ, Scientist, San Marino | Aeolian-Skinner, Opus 1424, 1961 | 20 |
| First Church of Christ, Scientist, San Marino | Rosales, 2019; earlier attribution: Aeolian-Skinner, 1961 | 27 |
The two Pasadena Christian Science entries share an earlier Harris attribution, but the cited records do not establish whether they describe successive work on the same instrument. They remain separate here.
Large organs and smaller instruments at the same church
A church’s name alone may not identify the organ being discussed.
All Saints Episcopal Church has records for both the 82-rank Schlicker shown above and a six-rank Aeolian-Skinner dated 1948. Lake Avenue Congregational Church has entries for the 125-rank Casavant and a 26-rank Schantz dated 1971.
First United Methodist Church also has a separate chapel record. When gathering documents or requesting service, identify the room and console as well as the church, builder and opus number.
Builders connected with Pasadena and the valley
Edwin A. Spencer
Edwin A. Spencer’s builder history places him in Pasadena from 1922 to 1947, following earlier periods in Los Angeles and Van Nuys. His name connects Pasadena with the region’s early twentieth-century organ-building activity.
Landon Pipe Organs
Landon Pipe Organs operated in Temple City from 1967 to 1986. The Holliston Avenue Methodist Church record identifies Landon work in 1967 and an earlier J. W. Steere & Sons attribution from 1901.
Kenneth R. Simpson & Co.
Kenneth R. Simpson & Co. is recorded in Los Angeles from 1964 into the 1980s. Pasadena entries include work at First Church of Christ, Scientist in 1967 and First Christian Church in 1975.
Abbott & Sieker
Abbott & Sieker operated in Los Angeles from 1961 to 1994. Its work appears in the San Gabriel Valley records, including a three-rank instrument at the Charles Lutz residence in Alhambra, dated 1969.
Rosales
Manuel Rosales & Associates began operating in Los Angeles in 1973, preceding Rosales Organ Builder, Inc. in 1977. The First United Methodist Church entry identifies the firm’s Opus 1, dated 1974.
Later Rosales records document work in both Pasadena and San Marino, including the Christian Science church entries above.
Smaller organs around the San Gabriel Valley
Smaller instruments are represented throughout the area, including in Alhambra, Arcadia, La Cañada, Monrovia, Pasadena, San Marino and South Pasadena.
| Recorded location | Builder and opus | Recorded year | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Presbyterian Church / Alhambra True Light Presbyterian Church, Alhambra | Aeolian-Skinner, Opus 1158 | 1948 | 17 |
| Arcadia Presbyterian Church | Wicks, Opus 4168 | 1962 | 26 |
| Lutheran Church in the Foothills, La Cañada | Möller, Opus 10220 | Circa 1966 | 4 |
| La Cañada Presbyterian Church | Reuter, Opus 1652 | 1968 | 24 |
| First Lutheran Church, Monrovia | Möller, Opus 10554 | Circa 1969 | 11 |
| Hill Avenue Grace Lutheran Church, Pasadena | Möller, Opus 9409 | 1960 | 14 |
| SS. Felicitas & Perpetua Roman Catholic Church, San Marino | Tellers, Opus 909 | 1960 | 11 |
| South Pasadena High School | ATOS Members; earlier attribution: Wurlitzer | 1990 | 17 |
Researching and caring for your organ
Start with the builder’s name and opus number. Original contracts, specifications, factory drawings and console photographs can help identify the instrument. Keep those alongside records of rebuilding, service, modification or relocation, including documentation for replacement controls.
You do not need a complete archive before contacting Craftsman. Send whatever information you have, along with a description of the problem or proposed work.
Craftsman provides tuning, maintenance, repair, re-leathering, condition surveys and restoration. We also handle removal and relocation, seeking new homes for instruments that can no longer remain where they are.
Call 888-561-9121, email projects@craftsmanpipeorgans.com, or visit our Pasadena pipe organ service page. For projects elsewhere in the region, see our Southern California service areas.
About the historical records
This guide draws on Organ Historical Society instrument and builder records reviewed on October 18, 2026, covering Pasadena and nearby San Gabriel Valley communities. One instrument may have several entries, and recorded dates, locations, specifications and builder histories do not establish present condition or business status. The instruments listed are historical examples, not a list of Craftsman customers.