Proctors Announces Restoration of Historic Goldie Theatre Organ Ahead of 100th Anniversary

SCHENECTADY (Sept. 11) – Proctors will restore Goldie, the 1931 Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ, in a $400,000 project led by COSS Organs of Delmar, NY, with guidance from the Hudson-Mohawk Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society. Work began Aug. 2025 and is scheduled for completion Sept. 2026, in time for the 100th anniversary season at Proctors.

In 2021, Goldie suffered serious water damage when a drainpipe broke during a severe storm. The organ’s wooden wind chest, the heart of the organ, which distributes air to the instrument’s sound-making components, was permanently damaged and will be replaced as part of the restoration. All pipes in both chambers will be removed, cleaned, and restored to sound like new. Additional upgrades will protect Goldie from future water damage.

From opening night in 1926, Proctors featured a theatre organ to accompany vaudeville acts and silent films with a variety of musical sounds and effects. That original organ was removed and sold for parts. In 1977, a committee of organ enthusiasts began searching for a replacement organ and located Goldie in a private Minnesota collection. In 1983, the Golub Family provided a $90,000 grant to bring Goldie across the country and install it at Proctors. A year later, Allen Mills, a nationally acclaimed organist, became the first full-time artist in residence at Proctors, presiding over concerts, releasing LPs featuring the instrument, as well as organizing holiday shows and special events for over a decade.

Goldie’s installation coincided with the establishment of the Hudson-Mohawk Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society, with Proctors as a hub for their operations. For more than 40 years, these dedicated volunteers and artists-in-residence have looked after the instrument across more than a thousand concerts, while also training and supporting hundreds of organ players who perform across the Capital Region. Goldie has been the soundtrack to silent movies, graduations, recitals, symphony concerts, and holiday celebrations of all kinds.

After the 2021 water damage, HMATOS and Proctors have decided to move forward with a comprehensive restoration of the instrument, hoping to fundraise $100,000 to support the project. The work is undertaken by COSS Organs in Delmar and supervised by an experienced team that includes COSS President Brad Day, as well as COSS specialist and Goldie’s maintenance chief Jared Ovitt, and the HMATOS members who have painstakingly maintained the organ for many years.

“Goldie is more than just an instrument at Proctors. Theatre Organs have played a pivotal role in the history of films, the magnificent theatres, and the world of organ music. Hundreds of players, technicians, and volunteers in our region have participated in our ATOS Chapter over the last four decades to keep these skills alive. It’s a working instrument, and this project is our way to make sure people continue to enjoy it for decades to come,” says a representative from HMATOS.

The restoration of Goldie ensures that this historic instrument will continue to inspire and delight audiences for generations to come. As Proctors approaches its 100th anniversary, the return of Goldie’s full voice will not only honor the theatre’s past but also celebrate its role as a cultural cornerstone for the Capital Region. Community support will help guarantee that Goldie once again fills the hall with the music and magic that have defined Proctors for nearly a century.

Important information will be announced at the HMATOS Annual Banquet 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 22, and the first free concert of the season 12 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in the GE Theatre. There will be three extra events during the HMATOS 2025-26 season, including two Saturday concerts, appearances by accomplished organists, and one special two-hour benefit concert 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, by the talented and youthful Avakian Duo.

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