A labor of love

COURTESY PHOTO Steve Brittain and his 1927 Wurlitzer pipe organ. Like many homes surrounding McGregor Boulevard, Steve Brittain's appears no different than any other. However, Mr. Brittain shares his home with a restored 1927 Wurlitzer theater pipe organ.

The theater pipe organ, an instrument requiring lots of space, is one of Mr. Brittain's passions, but it is also intended to honor his mentor.

"I thought it would be a good way to express myself, and I play, so why not?" Mr. Brittain said of the extravagant instrument.

After leaving the factory in October 1927, the Wurlitzer organ remained in the State Lake Theater in Chicago for 35 years.

In 1962, the organ was transported to California and installed in the Avenue Theatre, where it became celebrated on the West Coast for the many prominent organists who played the instrument.

Beginning his musical interests later than usual, Mr. Brittain began playing the piano at 13. By the age of 18 his natural talents for music found him as an organist choir director.

"When I was about 23, I heard that a man in Fort Myers had a pipe organ in his home, and I thought that was the coolest thing I'd ever heard of," said Mr. Brittain, 51.

That man was Walter Draughun, the person who would ultimately become Mr. Brittain's instructor in navigating the theater pipe organ. Mr. Draughun was a banker as well as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard.

After meeting Mr. Draughun, the pair got together at least once a week from 1980 until 1997 to play and enjoy music.

"He taught me about it and fostered my interest in theater organ music," Mr. Brittain said. "He dearly loved the sound of the theater pipe organ."

The organ Mr. Brittain learned to play in his mentor's home was a collection of various instruments parts. As he progressed in experience, Mr. Brittain realized the organ had limitations and flaws from being pieced together.

Treated like a son to Mr. Draughun, who had no children, Mr. Brittain was offered his house as a gift when the progression of Parkinson's disease left him unable to remain at home.

"It was a win-win situation. He needed someone that cared about this and I was tickled to find a pipe organ where Florida doesn't have any," Mr. Brittain said

Unfortunately, his mentor's pipe organ began to require excessive repair at too high of an expense. Thus began Mr. Brittain's desire for a complete and authentic theater pipe organ.

"I wanted one of these because I wanted to honor my friend's dream which was to have a complete instrument," Mr. Brittain said of his mentor.

In 2004, Mr. Brittain purchased the organ after it had been put in storage in San Jose, Calif. Filling a 26-foot rental truck, as well as a second 20-foot truck, the instrument was brought to Fort Myers.

Mr. Brittain needed to find the right craftsman to complete the installation. He said it had to be someone with the same philosophies about the instrument as those of the owner.

He chose Zollman Pipe Organ Service from Wichita, Kan.

It was Mr. Brittain's goal to keep the installation as close to Wurlitzer's original intentions as possible. There are, however, several technological and musical modifications to his organ that are meant to be enhancing features.

Mr. Brittain's entire back room, specifically constructed for the installation, holds the rows of pipes that span from floor to ceiling and wall to wall.

The manual organ is composed of 25 ranks, meaning the console of the instrument contains three layered keyboards and the entire instrument is capable of producing the sounds of 25 instruments.

The restoration project was handled in three phases, including modification to the console, restoration of all the pipes, and the construction. Currently the third phase is under way to complete the technological aspects of the instrument.

Owning such a grand instrument, he says, "is a labor of love," with some required upkeep.

"A good pipe organ, taken care of, should last 100 years," he said.

Mr. Brittain's living room also contains a smaller, four-rank organ that is used for practice.

He is also the owner of five grand pianos and two uprights. Out of the seven, five of the pianos are modified player pianos, and three are Steinways.

Mr. Brittain was born in Newark, N.Y., and moved to Fort Myers with his family. After graduating from Riverdale High School in 1975, he entered the field of data processing. He now works for the Lee County Health Department as a data processing administrator.

Mr Brittain said he hopes to enjoy the organ for 30 more year.

"Once I'm done, I suspect my plans are to award it to a college or performing arts hall," he said. "But there's always the chance that I'll meet someone that's just as interested as I am."