The organ of Santa María Peñoles is a tall piece of furniture with doors front and back that would never strike one as a musical instrument. Each door covered half of the principal 4´ register which was arranged diatonically front and back (C front, C# back, D front, etc.). Four rustic angel musicians were painted in the quadrants on the front of the case, but only one playing a lute is visible and the others barely so. The rest of the case was decorated inside and out with rustic floral designs after the pipes had been removed by 1901, as cited in a church inventory of 1908.  This implies that the case was probably used for storage and thus preserved. The windchest is in excellent condition, and a Maltese cross is painted on the first pallet. This is the only table organ in Oaxaca with direct suspended action.

The organ was discovered by chance in 2003 in the dark former choir loft. The camera’s flash fortunately revealed the details after the visit. The organ was left uncovered under a roofed porch next to the church for about three years while a repair project was underway. Then it was simply left there, since it would no longer fit in the new choir loft. The IOHIO moved it back into the church in 2007 and rebuilt the missing table in 2013. It is a fascinating instrument and a very tall, transformed descendant of the processional table organ.