Greene Avenue Baptist Church - Brooklyn, N.Y. (Brooklyn Eagle, 1944)
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Greene Avenue Baptist Church

826 Greene Avenue near Lewis Street
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11221



Organ Specifications:
826 Greene Avenue near Lewis Street (1892-1950)
► III/32 Austin Organ Company, Op. 985 (1920) and Op. 985-A (1923)
• II/ Reuben Midmer & Sons (1892)
Willoughby Avenue near Broadway (1867-1884)
• unknown
Bushwick Avenue near Wall Street (Arion Place) (1854-1866)
• unknown



The Greene Avenue Baptist Church was organized in 1854 as the Bushwick Avenue Baptist Church in the old Town of Bushwick. Shortly afterward, the society's 24 members purchased the former Ascension Episcopal Church, a frame edifice on Bushwick Avenue near Wall Street, for the sum of $1,600. The first pastor was the Rev. Silas Illsly. At some point, the society was renamed Gethsemane Baptist Church.

After the Civil War ended, the congregation sold their property on Bushwick Avenue in 1866 and purchased five lots on Willoughby Avenue, near Broadway, in the 9th Ward. For about a year, meetings were held in a room of John Wittlesey's Omnibus House on Broadway, until a new edifice was erected and furnished at a cost of nearly $8,000. The one-story frame structure measured 74 by 35 feet and could seat about 400 persons. On January 20, 1867, the completed church was dedicated in morning and evening services led by the Rev. Henry B. Stevens, pastor. After only six years the congregation, then known as Willoughby Avenue Baptist Church, had outgrown their new building. Enlarging the building seemed a useless expenditure for the rapidly growing congregation, so it was decided to buy a site and erect a larger church. The old building was sold to a German society in 1884, and the Baptists moved to the Warner Institute, on Willougby Avenue and Broadway until a new church could be built..

In 1887, the congregation purchased a 100 by 100 foot plot on Greene Avenue near Lewis Street. Plans were drawn up for a new church. As designed by Lansing C. Holden in the Romanesque Revival/Queen Anne style, the brick edifice was an effort to resemble a mass of row houses in its midblock setting. Constructed from 1887-92, Holden's basement plan was realized but the upper church is attributed to Paul F. Higgs, who may have used a new design or adapted Holden's original plan. The basement church was dedicated in 1888, and services were held there until April 17, 1892, when the completed church was formally dedicated. Around this time, the society was renamed "Greene Avenue Baptist Church." In May 1896, the congregation voted to install a crescent-shaped gallery with 250 additional seats, to be installed during July and August that same year. To pay for the new gallery, the congregation reverted to the system of pew rentals.

The adjacent Romanesque Revival church house is one of seven row houses designed by Langston & Dahlanderin and built from 1892-93.

By 1950, the congregation had merged or disbanded, and the property and building were sold to the Antioch Baptist Church.
         
  Austin Organ, Op. 985 (1921) in Antioch Baptist Church - Brooklyn, NY
   
  Austin Organ, Op. 985 (1921) in Antioch Baptist Church - Brooklyn, N.Y. (photo: AWJB Collection)
Austin Organ Company
Hartford, Conn. –Opus 985 (1920) & Opus 985-A (1923)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 48 registers, 32 stops, 32 ranks



The Memorandum of Agreement (July 19, 1920) between Austin Organ Company and Greene Avenue Baptist Church states that Austin agreed to install a new organ on or before April 15, 1921 for a consideration of $17,000. Austin provided a three-manual, stop-key console with an A.G.O. "Willis Model" concave and radiating pedalboard. The existing Midmer case was remodeled, extended and refinished, and all display pipes were refinished in gold bronze. Austin indicated that they reserved the right "to use the good old pipes out of the present organ towards the construction of the new" which they would renovate, reconstruct, and revoice, and guarantee to be equal to new.

This organ was enthusiastically supported by the Rev. Dr. Charles Francis McKoy, pastor of the church. In his letter (July 20, 1920) to Herbert Brown, Austin representative, that accompanied the signed contract, Dr. McKoy closed with: "I am very anxious about our Organ, as I want the richest and grandest instrument that we can obtain. You will not lose by devoting your best thought to the enrichment of our organ."

In the factory specifications we read that Austin constructed the chests so that two stops could be added to each. Dr. McKoy wrote to Austin (rec'd July 19, 1921), authorizing the firm to "add the Major Gamba, and Gamba Celeste, our cost $1050 on condition that we may have one year to pay for same with interest, each stop to have 73 pipes, and both to be of largest scale that can possibly be made." On the Swell chest, Austin installed an 8' Flauto Celeste with 49 pipes on approval, "the Church having six months trial of same & the option of purchasing at an additional cost." Dr. McKoy wrote to Austin (April 2, 1923), stating that the church would keep the stop and that Austin may send the bill for $300.

It seems that Dr. McKoy may have been fond of the "Traps" (untuned percussions) found on theatre organs. He wrote again, on October 4, 1923, authorizing Austin to install seven traps at a cost of $975. This order was named Opus 985-A (Oct. 10, 1923) by Austin.

The status of this organ is unknown as of 2012.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) –61 notes, partially enclosed in Choir box (5" wind)
16
  Tibia Clausa (wood)
73
4
  Open Flute *
73
8
  First Open Diapason
73
8
   Tuba Harmonic *
73
8
  Second Open Diapason *
73
     Great 16'  
8
   Flauto Major (wood)
73
     Great 8' (Unison Off)  
8
  Melodia (wood) *
73
 
  Great 4'  
8
  Viole d'Amour *
73
    
* enclosed in Choir box
 
     
 
     
Swell Organ (Manual III) –61 notes, enclosed (5" wind)
16
  Bourdon (wood)
73
2
   Piccolo Harmonic
61
8
  Diapason Phonon
73
16
   Fagotto
85
8
  Stopped Flute (wood)
73
8
  Cornopean
73
8
  Flauto Celeste (TC)
49
8
   Oboe (fr. Fagotto)
—
8
   Viole d'Orchestre
73
     Tremolo  
8
   Viole Celeste
73
     Swell 16'  
8
   Salicional
73
     Swell 8' (Unison Off)  
4
   Flauto Traverso (w&m)
73
     Swell 4'  
 
     
 
     
Choir Organ (Manual I) –61 notes, enclosed (5" wind)
8
  Open Diapason
GT
8
   Musette
73
8
  Melodia (wood)
GT
     Tremolo  
8
  Viole d'Amour
GT
    
Harp
61 bars
8
  Quintadena
73
     Choir 16'  
4
   Open Flute
GT
     Choir 8' (Unison Off)  
8
   Unda Maris (wood) (TC)
61
     Choir 4'  
8
   Clarinet
73
        
               
Echo Organ (Manual II) –61 notes, enclosed (10" wind)
8
   Viole Aetheria
73
8
   Vox Humana
61
8
   Vox Angelica (TC)
61
     Tremolo  
8
   Chimney Flute
73
    
Cathedral Chimes
20 notes
 
     
 
     
Solo & Echo Organ (Manual I) –61 notes, enclosed (10" wind)
8
   Stentorphone
73
8
   Viole Aetheria
EC
8
   Major Gamba
73
8
   Vox Angelica (TC)
EC
8
   Gamba Celeste
73
8
   Chimney Flute
EC
8
   French Trumpet
73
8
   Vox Humana
EC
8
   Cor Anglais
73
   
 
     
 
     
Pedal Organ –32 notes (Open Diap. 5" wind; Tuba 10" wind)
32
  Resultant Bass
—
8
   Flute [ext. Open Diap.]
—
16
  Open Diapason (wood)
44
16
   Tuba Profunda (ext. GT)
12
16
  Bourdon [Tibia]
GT
16
   Fagotto
SW
16
   Dolce Bourdon
SW
        
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8', 4'     Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'     Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'
    Choir to Pedal 8'     Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'
               
Adjustable Combinations
   
Swell Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Great Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Choir Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
Pedal Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (toe)
Entire Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb)
  Austin Patent Canceler Bars placed over each group of stop-keys
               
Traps (added as Op. 985-A, 1923; at indicated prices)
    Bass Drum (Tap & Roll)
$250
      
    Cymbal
100
      
    Snare Drum (Tap & Roll)
200
      
    Birds
50
      
    Triangle
25
      
    Rain
175
      
    Wind
175
      
               
Accessories
    Balanced Swell Pedal   Balanced Crescendo Pedal
    Balanced Choir & Great Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible
    Balanced Echo Pedal   Sforzando Pedal
         

Reuben Midmer & Sons
Brooklyn, N.Y. (1892)
Unknown action
2 manuals


The first organ in the Greene Avenue Baptist Church was funded by the Women's Aid society, as reported in the Brooklyn Eagle (Dec. 8, 1892).

"The Women's Aid society of the Greene avenue Baptist society succeeded in less than a year in paying for the fine organ which was built in the church, and last night they invited the members of the church and congregation to attend a public reception to celebrate the freedom of the instrument from debt and the formal handing of it over to the trustees of the church to become its property. There was a large number present, filling the Sunday school room, where the reception was held, and which for the once had been arranged as a drawing room by removing the pews and chairs and placing tables and beautiful lamps at a number of points about the room. Previous to partaking of a bountiful supply of ice cream and cake provided by the women of the society a short and creditable entertainment was given in the main auditorium, Mr. J. B. Jenkins acting as chairman for his wife, who is president of the society. There was an organ voluntary by Organist Leifield, songs by Mr. Boate, baritone soloist of All Souls' Universalist church; recitations by Miss Holmes and a burlesque sermon by Mr. Covert, who also played finely on the guitar and harmonica."

Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
           
Sources:
     Armitage, Thomas. History of the Young People's Baptist Union of Brooklyn. 1877-1889. New York: T.R. Jones, 1890: pp.296-297.
     Antioch Baptist Church web site: http://antiochbaptistbrooklyn.org
     Austin Organ Company. Memorandum of Agreement and Specifications (July 19, 1920) for Opus 985; correspondence and Order (Oct. 8, 1923) for Opus 985-A. Courtesy AJWB Collection.
     "Baptist Record Ended," Brooklyn Eagle (Jan. 30, 1887).
     "Breaking Ground For a Church," Brooklyn Eagle (May 11, 1887).
     "Dedication of the Gethsemane Baptist Church," Brooklyn Eagle (Jan. 21, 1867).
     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.
     "Handed Over to the Trustees," Brooklyn Eagle (Dec. 8, 1892).
     "Willoughby Avenue Baptists," Brooklyn Eagle (May 15, 1887).
     "Worshiped in Their New Building," Brooklyn Eagle (Apr. 18, 1892).

Illustrations:
     AJWB Collection. Console of Austin Organ, Op. 985 (1920).
     Antioch Baptist Church web site. Choir loft and organ façade.
     Armitage, Thomas. History of the Young People's Baptist Union of Brooklyn. 1877-1889.
     Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection. Exterior (1944).