Vol. 19, No. 35

July 6, 2000

Dedication celebrates renovation and new organ

The restoration of Bayard Sharp Hall and the installation of the Jefferson Pipe Organ in the Edward G. and Naomi L. Jefferson Music Gallery were celebrated with a dedication ceremony on June 29. A welcome by President David P. Roselle was followed by remarks by Bernard L. Herman, art history and Center for Historic Architecture and Design, and David Herman, music. Roselle thanked those responsible for the project, and Howard E. Cosgrove, chairman of the Board of Trustees, officially dedicated the building, the interior music gallery and the organ. Also speaking were Bayard Sharp, a longtime friend of the University who provided funding for the renovation and restoration of the building, and Edward Jefferson, retired chief executive officer of the Du Pont Co. and former member of the University Board of Trustees, who with his wife, Naomi, donated the organ. A ribbon cutting and an organ performance by David Herman ended the ceremony, which was followed by a reception. According to Bernard Herman, Bayard Sharp Hall is one of the earliest examples of Gothic Revivalist architecture in the United States and has not only local but national significance. Formerly St. Thomas Episcopal Church, the building was dedicated in 1845 and was used as a church until its congregation outgrew the building, when it was converted to a public library from 1956-1974. It became the property of the University in 1996. The restoration, involving several academic disciplines and student researchers, was completed in 1999 and received a 1999 Better Newark Award and a 2000 New Castle County Historic Preservation Award. The Jefferson Pipe Organ, which was custom built by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders of Iowa, features 1,234 pipes, 18 registers, 21 stops and 22 ranks. It took 19 craftspersons more than 6,500 hours to build the organ, before bringing it to campus for the eight-week installation and tonal finishing. In gratitude for their gift, the trustees named the organ and interior of the building for the Jeffersons. The organ will be used for a minor in church music, beginning in the fall. The Jefferson Organ Inaugural Series 2000-2001 is planned for next year, with programs by David Herman and guest artists beginning in September. In addition, Bayard Sharp Hall features an early 1900s piano, which was given to the University in 1943 by Louisa Evelina du Pont Crowninshield. The piano was housed in the Warner Residence Hall until 1998 when it was rebuilt by Steinway for its current home.