By Wendy Carlson

The Trinity Milton Church in Litchfield holds claim to having the oldest functioning tracker organ in the country and the only one in Connecticut. The tiny church on the Milton green dates back to 1799 and looks straight out of a Currier and Ives calendar. But what makes it extra special is its tracker organ. The entirely mechanical organ was built in New York in 1823 and restored about a decade ago.Trinity acquired the organ for $300 in 1866 from St. Michael’s Church in Litchfield. But it wasn’t until the 1980s that its builder was identified and its historic value internationally recognized. 

To play a tracker organ, the organist presses keys and pulls stops that control the pipes and couplers through a complex matrix of levers and values. Considered a national treasure, the Trinity organ features large decorative wooden pipes in front of the case and a carved wooden flame agave, both gilded in real gold leaf. Services are  held each Sunday at 9:30 a.m., when the organ is played by Grammy-nominated music director Micheal Ford. On Christmas Eve, the church will hold a candle-lit service and choral program at 4 p.m. All are welcome to attend, though seating can be limited. —trinitychurchmilton.org