A New Beginning

It was almost a decade before Harry's eldest son Edward was old enough to envision a proper revival of the family's legacy.

Edward had worked with his father and uncle throughout his youth had inherited a true passion for the organbuilder's art. Fresh out of college in the early 1990's, his enthusiasm was not quite enough to overcome the demands of reestablishment of the firm. Certain legal issues arose during that decade, including the unauthorized use of the firm name by a former employee. Once this was dealt with, the revived firm reacquired what remained of the original records. These records were copied, catalogued and complied into a new database before being placed with the American Organ Archives at Talbott Library, in Princeton.

In the intervening years, Edward sought employment with Austin Organs, Inc. of Hartford, Connecticut, serving as Console Department Foreman in the final three of his seven years there, all the while maintaining J.H. & C.S. Odell as a part-time business.

Having never lost sight of his goal, in December of 2002 Edward left Austin to transition the Odell firm to a full-time concern with suitable resources and facilities for complete pipe organ manufacture.

The facility has steadily expanded and is now fully equipped with staff, milling equipment, a cabinet and pipe shop, voicing room and finishing room.

Over time, work has been broad in scope. Four well-acclaimed new pipe organs and a siginifacnt number of restoration projects have been completed in the last eight years, including, most notably, a comprehensive multi-year project for the Cadet Chapel at West Point.