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Church of St. Michael–St. Edward
(Roman Catholic)
108 St. Edward Street at Leo Place
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11205
The Parish of St. Edward, the Confessor, was organized in 1891, having been formed from parts of St. James, Our Lady of Mercy and the Sacred Heart parishes. Bishop Loughlin appointed the Rev. James F. Mealia of St. James pro-Cathedral to take charge of the new church that would be built on a land at the corner of Canton and Divisions Streets, later known as St. Edward Street and Leo Place. The cornerstone was laid on September 13, 1891, and on December 8th the basement was opened and Mass was celebrated in it for the first time. As the neighborhood was poor, it would take 15 more years for Father Mealia to raise the funds to complete the church. Finally, in 1906, the church and rectory were completed and dedicated. Designed in the Romanesque style, the church had an apsidal front flanked by two towers and was constructed of gray brick trimmed with terra cotta. Measuring 124 feet long with an average width of 65 feet, the church could originally seat 1000 persons.
In 1942, St. Michael's and St. Edward's churches were combined to serve the residents of the new Fort Greene Housing Project and the congregation was renamed St. Michael–St. Edward Church. In 2008, the church was consolidated into Sacred Heart Church and the old building was closed. |
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American Master Organ Co.
Paterson, N.J. (c.1914)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 20 stops, 20 ranks
The unplayable organ in St. Michael / Edward Church is believed to have been built by the American Master Organ Company. Our clue is that the low C pipe of the Great 8' Tuba is stamped "5½ Tiba. 376 5 F R White, Voicer." Frank Ross White, a theatre organist for the Century and Vitagraph Theatres in New York, was President of this company which was incorporated in late 1914 with a factory in Warsaw, N.Y. After only a year of operation the company was reorganized and moved to Paterson, N.J., but failed to show a profit and declared bankruptcy in 1917. |
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Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Open Diapason |
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2 |
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Piccolo |
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8 |
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Harmonic Flute |
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8 |
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Tuba |
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8 |
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Gross Flute |
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8 |
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Clarinet |
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8 |
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Orchestral Violin |
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Tremolo |
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8 |
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Viole Celeste |
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Chimes |
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4 |
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Flute d'Amour |
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Solo Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Bourdon |
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4 |
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Flute |
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8 |
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Stentorphone |
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4 |
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Octave Principal |
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8 |
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Flute Dolce |
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2 |
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Flautina |
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8 |
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Mezzo Violin |
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8 |
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Major Vox |
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8 |
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Orchestral Violin |
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Tremolo |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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16 |
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Open Diapason |
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16 |
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Bourdon |
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Couplers
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Great to Pedal |
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Great 4' |
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Solo to Pedal |
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Solo 16', 4' |
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Solo to Great 16', 8', 4' |
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Sources:
The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X, Vol. III. New York: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914.
Fox, David H. A Guide to North American Organbuilders (Rev. ed.). Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
Junchen, David L. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. I. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1985.
Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
Schmauch, David. Specifications of American Master Organ (c.1914).
Illustrations:
Schmauch, David. Exterior and interior; console of American Master Organ (c.1914). |
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