ranks of pipes. The instrument also has various tuned and untuned percussions and a standard “toy counter” of special effects to aid in film accompaniments. The Barton deluxe/“circus wagon”-style console is situated on a functioning Barton four-poster lift. The nearly-forgotten Barton organ had fallen into disuse in the 1950s and suffered water damage in the early 1960s. It was repaired and began receiving regular use in the early 1970s, and factored significantly in raising strong community support to save the historic theatre when the original lease expired in 1978. In regular use since that time, the marginally-adequate original blower failed in early 2014 and was rebuilt with a larger custom motor and new impellers. The instrument was completely rebuilt and restored to like-new mechanical and tonal condition by Renaissance Pipe Organs of Ann Arbor between 2018 and 2020, with the console and relay having been updated to reliable solid-state in 2014. The instrument is professionally maintained, and is played regularly by staff organists prior to film screenings and for silent films, making it one of the most-heard theater organs in the country. Exterior The Michigan Theater Building is a large, two-story block building, consisting of the Michigan Theater itself and seven retail stores fronting the street, as well as offices above. The building's exterior is clad with brown brick with cement and terra cotta trim. The main section of the facade, three bays wide, contains the entrance to the theater and two flanking stores. This section is Lombard Romanesque in style. The remaining five storefronts are all to one side of the main section, and are considerably plainer. In the plainer section are two slightly recessed storefronts that flank the stair access to the second floor. In each section, the roofline parapet contains the name of the building. The Romanesque theater entrance contains cream terra cotta columns, arches, and other Romanesque elements on the second floor; these elements on the first floor were lost to the 1956 remodeling. Decorative aprons above the second-floor arcade sections contain green and blue terra cotta, and additional decoration is within the arches. Interior Lobby The inner lobby still retains original details, including a barrel-vaulted ceiling, Romanesque columns and arch decorations, wood paneling, and wrought-iron balcony and staircase railings. Auditorium The main auditorium, seating 1610, is used for film screenings and live events. The auditorium contains some of the original detail. Gallery References External links