Chartres Cathedral has possessed an organ since the 14th century, when the original instrument was installed in the position of the one we see today.

In the 15th century, the clergy ordered an organ from Gombault Rogerie. It was to be "at least as fine as the one from Poitiers Cathedral."
This first organ had fifty notes per key and, like the one in Poitiers, sported huge, 32 foot pipes.

In the 16th century, the organist Robert Filleul made technical and aesthetic modifications to the organ. Most of the decoration visible today dates from this period.

The casing was not changed until after the fire of 1836, which put the organ out of action for ten years.

By 1964 the organ was worn out, despite frequent modifications and regular upkeep. The publisher Pierre Firmin-Didot founded an association to seek funds for a new mechanism: the one we can hear today. It was constructed by the Danion-Gonzalez company, and put into service in 1971.