St. Luke Evangelical Lutheran Church

87-34 85th Street
Woodhaven (Queens), N.Y. 11421


Organ Specifications:
87-34 85th Street (since 1911)
► II/12 Wicks Organ Company, Op. 4365 (1963)
► II/6 M.P. Möller, Inc., Op. 3533 (1923)
• Aeolian Organ Co.
78th Street near 88th Road (1908-1911)
• unknown


St. Luke's English Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized in 1908, at first meeting in a facility located on Snedeker Avenue near 4th (now 78th Street near 88th Road) in the town of Woodhaven. In 1911, the congregation moved into their present neo-Gothic building on the corner of 85th Street and 87th Road.
           
Wicks Pipe Organ Company
Highland, Ill. – Opus 4365 (1963)
Direct Electric ® action
2 manuals, 26 registers, 12 stops, 12 ranks
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
16
   Quintaton
73
2 2/3
  Twelfth
61
8
   Principal
61
2
   Fifteenth (fr. Octave)
—
8
   Quintaton
—
     Mixture III ranks **
derived
8
   Gemshorn *
61
     Chimes  
8
   Unda Maris * (TC)
49
    
* enclosed in Swell
4
   Octave
73
    
** Twelfth, Fifteenth, Oct. 1' from Fifteenth
               
Swell Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Gedeckt
85
2 2/3
   Nazard (fr. Gedeckt)
—
8
   Viole d'Gambe
68
2
   Flautino (fr. Gedeckt)
—
8
   Viole Celeste (TC)
49
8
   Trompette
80
4
   Geigen Octave
68
4
   Clarion (fr. Trompette)
—
4
   Flute d'Amour (fr. Gedeckt)
—
     Tremulant  
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
   Subbass
44
8
   Flauto Dolce
SW
16
   Quintaton
GT
5 1/3
  Quint
SW
8
   Principal
GT
4
   Choral Bass
GT
8
   Bass Flute (fr. Subbass)
—
16
   Double Trumpet (ext. SW)
12
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8', 4'   Great 16', Unison Off, 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell 16', Unison Off, 4'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'    
         
Combinations
    Pistons: 4 each: Divisional, Master and General
           
M. P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 3533 (1923)
Tubular-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 9 stops, 6 ranks


The M. P. Möller Factory Specification (Nov. 13, 1922) shows that this two-manual organ had tubular-pneumatic action, cost $2,500, and was to be installed and ready by March 1, 1923.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Open Diapason
61
8
   Dulciana
61
8
   Stopped Diapason
61
4
   Flute Traverso
61
 
     
 
     
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Gedeckt
GT
8
   Dolce
GT
4
   Flute
GT
8
   Vox Celeste (TC)
49
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon
32
        
               
Couplers
    Swell to Pedal   Swell to Swell 4'
    Great to Pedal   Great to Great 4'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'    
               
Mechanicals
    Tremulant    
    Crescendo Indicator    
               
Combinations
    Pistons No. 1-2 affecting Great and Pedal Stops
    Pistons No. 1-2 affecting Swell and Pedal Stops
               
Pedal Movements
    Balanced Swell Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible
    Grand Crescendo Pedal    
         
Aeolian Company
New York City


Church records show that there was an Aeolian organ prior to the installation in 1923 of the M. P. Möller organ. In 1919, the church purchased a Kinetic blower for the organ, and a receipt from April 1921 shows that $4 was paid to Ralph W. Covert, Jr., for a new stop for the organ. The church sold the organ in 1923, the result of advertising in The Lutheran magazine. The Aeolian Company opus list does not show an organ for Woodhaven, Queens, so it may be assumed that the organ was a second-hand instrument. It is also possible that the Aeolian instrument was actually a reed organ or Vocalion.
           
Sources:
     Haberstroh, Richard. The German Churches of Metropolitan New York: A Research Guide. New York: The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society, 2000.
     Kloda, Barry S. G. Factory Specification (Nov. 13, 1922) of M.P. Möller Organ, Op. 3533 (1923).
     Kloda, Barry S. G. Notes from church archives about an undated Aeolian Company instrument.
     Kloda, Barry S. G. Specification of Wicks Organ, Op. 4365 (1963).
     M. P. Möller, Inc. Opus List; compiled by the Boston Organ Club Chapter of the Organ Historical Society (Martin R. Walsh, editor). Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
     Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
     Smith, Rollin. The Aeolian Pipe Organ and its Music. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1998.