click on any image to enlarge Grace Church – Brooklyn Heights (Episcopal)     254 Hicks Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 http://www.gracebrooklynheights.org Organ Specifications: ► III/69 Austin Organs Inc., Op. 2780 (2001) • III/40 Tellers Organ Company (1961) • III/- Hope-Jones Organ Company (1909) • III/32 Hilborne and Frank Roosevelt, Op. 368 (1887) • III/33 Hall & Labagh (1849); enl. Labagh-Kemp (1877) When Grace Church in Manhattan moved to its present location at Broadway and Tenth Street, the churchgoers from Brooklyn found the journey too difficult, and they planned to build a church in Brooklyn Heights. A small Episcopal congregation, called Emmanuel, already existed on Sidney Place. The rapid growth of this congregation, 120 members in one year alone, was too much for Emmanuel to assimilate, and in 1847 a new parish, called Grace Church, was incorporated. A lot was purchased on the corner of Hicks Street and Grace Court for $15,000, and the church chose Richard Upjohn to design their new building. Upjohn had recently completed Trinity Church in Manhattan, and was also the architect of the Church of the Pilgrims, and Christ Church and the Holy Family in Brooklyn. For Grace Church, Upjohn created an "English Parish Church" in 15th century Perpendicular Gothic Revival style. The church's cornerstone was laid on June 29, 1847, and the first service in the completed building was held on December 10, 1848. The total cost for the structure was $46,737.52, paid for by the loans and gifts of parishioners—as well as by a significant loan from Trinity Church, Manhattan. In order to economize, however, the large bell tower that was planned for the southwest comer of the church was eliminated from the plan. The church was consecrated on June 26, 1849. Over the years, the church was richly decorated with polychrome, stained glass and furnishings. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has cited Grace Church as a landmark building, and notes that it is one of architect Upjohn's most mature "Gothic designs in New York City".             Austin Organs Inc.  Hartford, CT – Opus 2780 (2001) Electric slider action Solid-state combination action 3 manuals, 70 stops, 69 ranks During the latter part of the 1990s, the parish conducted a major capital campaign to repair the building's windows, walls, roofs, and facades, and to build and install a new pipe organ. The new instrument, designed and built by Austin Organs, Inc., of Hartford, CT, consists of 60 ranks in the chancel chamber, complemented by a division of 10 ranks in the west end gallery. Some of the original Roosevelt pipes have been incorporated into the new instrument, including the facade pipes that were restored and richly decorated by Austin. The new organ was consecrated on September 30, 2001.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 61 1 3/5   Seventeenth 61 8   Open Diapason 61 1 1/3   Mixture IV ranks 244 8   Salicional 61 8   Trumpet 61 8   Harmonic Flute 61 8   Tuba CH 8   Bourdon 61 8   French Horn CH 4   Principal 61 8   Grand Trumpet WE 2 2/3   Twelfth 61     Chimes   2   Fifteenth 61     Cymbelstern                   Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Lieblich Bordun 61 2   Chorus Mixture III ranks 183 8   Geigen Principal 61 1   Sharp Mixture III ranks 183 8   Viole de gambe 61 16   Double Trumpet 61 8   Voix céleste 61 8   Trumpet 61 8   Chimney Flute 61 8   Hautboy 61 4   Principal 61 8   Vox Humana F 61 4   Flûte harmonique 61 8   Vox Humana P — 2 2/3   Nazard 61 4   Clarion 61 2   Piccolo harmonique 61     Tremulant  1 3/5   Tierce 61 8   Grand Trumpet WE                 Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Gemshorn 61 1 1/3   Larigot 61 8   Unda Maris 61 1   Fife 61 8   Flûte traversière 61 8   Cor anglais 61 8   Cor de nuit 61 8   Clarinet 61 8   Cor de nuit céleste [TC] 49 8   French Horn 61 4   Gemshorn 61   Tremulant 4   Flute 61 8   Tuba 61 2   Flageolet 61 8   Grand Trumpet WE                 Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Subbass [ext., 1-5 resultant] 7 3 1/5   Mixture III ranks 96 16   Open Bass 32 32   Contra Bombard [ext.] 12 16   Principal GT 16   Bombard 32 16   Bourdon 32 16   Double Trumpet SW 16   Lieblich Bordun SW 8   Trumpet 32 8   Octave 32 4   Clarion [ext.] 12 8   Flute Bass 32 8   Grand Trumpet WE 4   Choral Bass 32                       West Organ (floating) – unenclosed in Gallery Manual – 61 notes     Pedal – 32 notes 8   Open Diapason 61 16   Bourdon 32 8   Stopped Diapason 61       4   Octave 61         2   Super Octave 61       2   Mixture II-IV ranks 208       8   Grand Trumpet 61                         Tellers Organ Company, Inc. Erie, PA – Opus 938 (1961) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 40 ranks In 1961, the aging Roosevelt/Hope-Jones organ underwent a major renovation. At this time, a new console was placed to the night of the chancel (moving the pulpit to its current location on the opposite side). Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Hope-Jones Organ Company Elmira, NY (1909) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 32 stops The Roosevelt organ was electrified in 1909 by Robert Hope-Jones, who also provided a new console. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Hilborne and Frank Roosevelt New York City – Opus 368 (1887) Tracker-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 32 stops In 1887, the renowned organ builders Hilbome and Frank Roosevelt (first cousins of Theodore) built and installed a new instrument. The sacristy and vestry area to the north of the chancel was given over to the pipes, and an addition was built on south of the chancel to house a new sacristy. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Hall & Labagh New York City (1849); enl. Labagh-Kemp (1977) Mechanical action 3 manuals, 33 stops The original organ in Grace Church, built in 1849 by Hall & Labagh of New York City, was installed in the chancel chamber and cost $3,000. A hydraulic motor provided power to operate the bellows, and the attached three-manual console, located where the pulpit now stands, controlled 33 stops and two octaves of pedals. When the building was expanded in 1851, the organ was removed to the west end gallery. The organ was enlarged in 1877 by Labagh-Kemp, and was sold in 1892 to St. Clement's Church in Brooklyn. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Sources:      Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks (Third Edition). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004.      Grace Church website: www.gracebrooklynheights.org/      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      Ochse, Orpha. Austin Organs. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 2001. Photos:      Steven E. Lawson | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |