Russell

Russell and Company, Organ Builders, located in Cambridgeport, Vermont was founded in 1976 to serve tuning and maintenance needs, but then expanded its facilities in 1978 to include the building of new pipe organs. In 1980, they moved to larger facilities, and by 1987, the company had outgrown its space requiring the construction of a new 5,600-square-foot facility which includes an assembly room with a 35-foot ceiling. In addition to the production of fine pipe organs, Russell and Company also manufactures organ pipes, consoles, and windchests which it supplies to the trade. Their customers include many of the finest companies, and Russell pipework is included in such notable instruments as the Crystal Cathedral; Second Baptist Church, Houston; the University of Alaska, Fairbanks; and the Cathedral of Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. The company's founder and director, Stephen J. Russell, received his education at RPI and Westminster Choir College. After graduation, he apprenticed under Timen Koelewijn, noted Dutch-American pipe maker and organ builder. In 1980, Koelewijn retired, later selling his business to Russell. This brought the move to Vermont and a greater emphasis on new organ construction. Since 1980, the company has enjoyed controlled but constant growth due to the consistently high quality of the workmanship and Mr. Russell's painstaking attention to the fine points of tonal design and finishing.