George Washington Odell

ODELL, George Washington, organ builder, was born in New York City, May 30, 1857, son of John Henry and Frances Julia (Youngs) Odell. The first of his family in America was William Odell, who emigrated from Bedfordshire, England, in 1635, and settled in Concord, N.H. He and his descendants became largely interested in land near Yonkers, N.Y

From him the line is traced through his son Henry, who married Sarah Deveaux; their son Jonathan, who married Elanor Underhill; their son John, who married Eliza Sherwood, and their son John Henry, who was Mr. Odell's [G.W.] father. The latter was also engaged in the organ business with a brother, Caleb S. Odell. His knowledge of organ construction was profound, and among the many improvements made by him were a reversible coupler, acted upon by one piston knob (patened May 8th, 1866) and the tubularpneumatic action for which he obtained patents on Jan. 16, 1872 and later in 1898.

The son [G.W.] was educated in the public schools of New York City and Russell Institute, and then entered his father's organ business. He served as an apprentice in the various departments until he acquired a thorough mastery of the intricacies of organ construction. When his uncle died in 1882, the firm name became J.H. & C.S. Odell, and upon the death of John Henry Odell, the name was changed to J.H. & C.S. Odell & Co. and the subject of this sketch became the president.

The factory is on West 42nd street, New York City, where about forty men are employed. The market supplied includes the United States, Canada, and China. Among the more recent improvements on the Odell organ, in addition to those invented by Mr. Odell's father are a self-acting crescendo and diminuendo pedal which commences with the softest stop in the organ, and brings on rapidly or slowly as required all the stops to the full organ ; a sforzando pedal which puts on or takes off the full power of the instrument in an instant; and an exhaust system which was patented by John Henry Odell in 1898. The Odells have succeeded in rendering the touch of the organ as easy, even, and noiseless as that of a piano, have made the draw stops, or registers, much more convenient and under the command of the player; have discovered the art of so arranging of so arranging the wind channels and valves that one pipe cannot draw wind from another and have reduced the voicing to mathematical principles, producing an equally balanced instrument.

Among the leading churches that are using the Odell organ are the Collegiate reformed, St. Agnes' Chapel, Calvary Baptist, Fifth Avenue Presbyterian, Temple Beth-El, St. Paul's M.E., and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City; the Jenkins MemorialChurch, Baltimore, and the Second Baptist Church, St. Louis.

Mr. Odell is a member of the New York Athletic club and Larchmont Yacht Club.

- Reprinted from the National Cyclopedia of American Biography Volume XXXIII: