History of UUCB Pianos

This history of the church pianos was researched by Tessa Davis, UUCB member. Note that both of these pianos can be rented for concerts, recitals, or other events — read piano rental information.

Steinway Grand Piano

The Steinway Grand piano in the Earth Room was built in New York in 1887. At some point it was shipped to a music store in Chicago (now defunct), eventually ending up in Colorado Springs. It was probably used in a church there before being rebuilt by Warren Groff and subsequently bought by UUCB in the mid 1960s. No one remembers the exact date, but it was just after the current church was built and before Phil Pennington was called as minister. Norman Savig, who was choir director and very involved in the music program at the church while he lived in Boulder from 1962-1968, fronted the $1,500 piano cost, and church members raised the funds to pay him back with fundraising, including a concert series put together by Norman in, he believes, 1964.

Jim Boratgis (now a member of the UU Fellowship in Lafayette) found the piano at Warren Groff's, a piano tuner and rebuilder in Colorado Springs. Jim and Norman went to Colorado Springs and Norman remembers that Warren had a rig and levers that enabled him to move the piano himself. Norman and Jim drove back to Boulder ahead of Warren who followed with the piano in his trailer. There is no number for a Warren Groff in Colorado Springs, so it has not been possible to confirm and expand on some of these details. Neither Jim or Norman remember a dedication service. Norman says they just started using it.

Steinway Upright Piano

The Steinway upright piano in the Sky Room was donated to UUCB by Gerald and Dorothy Wheeler in 1992. They brought it with them from Maryland where they had been active members of the second largest UU church in the country for over 18 years. Once in Estes Park, however, the Wheelers realized that Gerald wasn't playing it very much any more and would be happy with a smaller keyboard.

They first decided to sell the piano, but when no one was willing to pay the appraised value of $3,000, they decided to donate it to the church. They had come to services a few times, met and liked the minister of that time, and felt it would be well used and appreciated here.