Flatbush-Tomkins Congregational Church - Brooklyn, N.Y. (photo ca.1950: Brooklyn Daily Eagle; Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection)
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Flatbush-Tompkins Congregational Church

424 East 19th Street at Dorchester Road
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11226
https://sites.google.com/site/flatbushtompkins/home


Organ Specifications:
► III/43 Austin Organs Inc., Op. 2438 (1965) – Chancel
► Aeolian Company, Op. 1586 (1926) – Antiphonal
► 0/12 Aeolian-Skinner, Op. 1063 (1945)
• III/ W.W. Kimball Co. (1912); reb. W.W. Kimball Co. (1939)
• II/ Vaughan Ramsey – Auditorium
• II/ Vaughan Ramsey – Music Office
           
1910 interior view of Flatbush-Tomkins Congregational Church - Brooklyn, N.Y. (photo ca.1950: Brooklyn Daily Eagle; Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection)  
1910 interior view
 
           
Austin Organs Inc.
Hartford, Conn. – Opus 2438 (1965)
Aeolian Company
Boston, Mass. – Opus 1586 (1926)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 45 registers, 34 stops, 43 ranks


In 1965, Austin Organs installed a new two-manual organ in the chancel, providing a three-manual console to also control the Antiphonal Organ, which was built by the Aeolian Company as Op. 1586 (1926) and originally installed in St. Mark's Methodist Episcopal Church in Brooklyn.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  Quintaten
68
    Fourniture IV ranks
244
8
  Prinzipal
68
8
  Trompete
68
8
  Bourdon
68
8
  Krummhorn (TC)
56
4
  Oktav
68
 
 
Chimes (enc. in SW)
25 tubes
4
  Quintaten (fr. 16')
24
    Cymbelstern  
2
  Octavin [labled Waldflöte] 
61
       

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Rohr Gedeckt
68
    Plein Jeu III ranks
183
8
  Viola
68
16
  Fagotto [ext.1-12 prepared]
—
8
  Viola Celeste (TC)
56
 8
  Trompette
68
4
  Principal
68
8
  Oboe
68
4
  Koppelflöte
68
    Tremulant  
2
  Waldflöte [labled Octavin]
61
    Harp [not connected]  

     

     
Antiphonal Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed [from Aeolian Company, Opus 1586]
8
  Principal
61
2
  Doublette
61
8
  Gedeckt
61
1 3/5
  Tierce
61
8
  Viole
61
1 1/3
  Larigot
61
8
  Celeste
61
 
  Plein Jeu II ranks
122
8
  Gemshorn
61
    Cymbale II ranks
122
4
  Prestant
61
8
  Trompette
61
4
  Rohrflöte
61
    Tremulant  
2 2/3
  Nazard
61
       

             
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
  Contrabass
56
4
  Choralbass (fr. Contrabass)
—
16
  Quintaten
GT
4
  Blockflöte
32
16
  Gedeckt (ext. SW)
12
    Mixture III ranks
96
8
  Principal (fr. Contrabass)
—
16
  Posaune (ext. GT)
12
8
  Viola
SW
8
  Trompete
GT
8
  Gedeckt
SW
4
  Krummhorn
GT
           
Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co, Inc.
Boston, Mass. – Opus 1063 (1945)
Electro-pneumatic action
7 stops, 12 ranks


Following the end of World War II, the church contracted with the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co., to repair and effect tonal alterations to their existing Kimball organ. Under the direction of G. Donald Harrison, president, the Swell wind pressure was lowered from approximately 4 1/2" to 3 3/4", and several Kimball stops were replaced, quite possibly from Aeolian-Skinner stock due to shortages of materials at the time. Harrison wrote, "We will use the 8' Trompette (stamped Bombarde) from #936 [Groton School, Mass.] for #1063 on its present pressure of 3 3/4". We will clean it up and put it on the voicing machine."
               
Great Organ (4½" pressure)
8
  Principal (TC up)
49
    in place of present stop  
4
  Principal
61
  in place of present stop  
2 2/3
  Twelfth
61
  in place of present stop  
2
   Fifteenth
61
     in place of present stop  
    Fourniture III ranks
183
     in place of 8' Trumpet  

     

     
Swell Organ (3 3/4" pressure, lowered from present 4 1/2")
8
   Trompette
73
     in place of 8' Cornopean
    Mixture IV ranks
244
     in place of 16' Bourdon and 8' Celeste – new top boards as necessary
           
Kimball Organ at Flatbush Congregational Church - Brooklyn, N.Y. (photo: Eric Birk)
Interior showing Kimball Organ Case
W.W. Kimball Company
Chicago, Ill. (1912); reb. by Kimball (1939)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals
               
According to church records, the original Kimball organ was apparently installed in 1912. Music Committee minutes from 1937 mention that the organ was 25 years old. Rebuilding the Kimball was necessary due to deterioration of pneumatic tubing that began in the late 1920's. (The church chose from five plans, one of which included a Hammond organ that was auditioned at a worship service where only one person responded positively! All others said it was too hard to sing with and/or too loud.) The work that was proposed for Kimball to do in 1939 (approved at a Nov. 14, 1938 meeting) was as follows:
   "A complete repair and electrification of the present organ in its present space ... releather all manual and pedal chest pneumatics, recover 35 stop action pneumatics, ship back to factory all primaries, install new valves and recover all pneumatics, install new slide tuners on 16 sets of pipes, install three new tremolos, install new four manual console of most modern design, install four individual swell shutter actions for the present swell shutters, furnish and install motor generator unit to create organ current. All parts of the organ to be thoroughly cleaned and repaired. All pipes to be thoroughly cleaned and the reeds to be revoiced at the factory at a  cost including installation, freight charges,...."
   This organ was completely reconfigured when the chancel was remodeled in 1949.
   The specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
           
Organ in Auditorium (former sanctuary):

Vaughan Ramsey
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals


Vaughan Ramsey, who was for many years the Organist/Choirmaster at Flatbush-Tompkins Congregational Church, built a two-manual organ for the church's auditorium. This organ was removed when Mr. Ramsey retired from the church. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
           
Vaughan Ramsey
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Direct-electric action
2 manuals


Vaughan Ramsey built a two-manual organ with direct-electric action for his office at Flatbush-Tompkins Church. This organ was removed with Mr. Ramsey retired from the church. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
           
Sources:
     Birk, Eric. History of the Kimball Organ.
     Brooklyn Eagle photo from Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection
     The Diapason (Aug. 1964). Stoplist of Austin Organ, Op. 2438 (1965). Courtesy Jeff Scofield.
     Flatbush-Tompkins Congregational Church web site: https://sites.google.com/site/flatbushtompkins/home
     Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List (New Revised Edition). Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
     Ochse, Orpha. Austin Organs. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 2001.
     Smith, Rollin. The Aeolian Pipe Organ and its Music. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1998.
     Trupiano, Larry. Electronic correspondence with information about the organs built by Vaughan Ramsey.
     Trupiano, Larry. Memo (Sept. 20, 1945) and Work Sheet (Nov. 20, 1945) in re changes made by Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co. at Op. 1065.

Illustrations:
     Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn Collection, Brooklyn Public Library. Photos of church exterior and interior.