St. Anthony - St.Alphonsus Catholic Church


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Church of St. Anthony – St. Alphonsus
(Roman Catholic)

862 Manhattan Avenue at Milton Street
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11222

Organ Specifications:
862 Manhattan Avenue (since 1874)
► III/45 Midmer-Losh Inc. (c.1924); reb. Konzelman (1980s)
• IV/ Reuben Midmer & Sons (1892)
• II/ Unknown (1885)
• Unknown (early 1880s)
• Henry Erben (1875) – repossessed (early 1880s)
Lower Church or Chapel:
► II/3 Estey Organ Company, Op. 3091 (1938)
• II/ Reuben Midmer & Sons (<1917)
• I/ Reuben Midmer & Sons (1900)
• Henry Erben (1874)
India Street (1858-1874)
• unknown


1907 Postcard

The Roman Catholic parish of St. Antony of Padua, in the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn, was established in 1856. In 1874, Patrick C. Keeley of Brooklyn designed the present Gothic Revival church, which is constructed of red brick with white limestone trim, and features a 240-foot spire.

In 1975, St. Alphonsus Church was merged into St. Anthony Church, after which the church was renamed St. Anthony – St. Alphonsus Catholic Church.

In 1982, the Greenpoint Historic District was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee. St. Anthony – St. Alphonsus Church is within this district.

Midmer-Losh Inc. Merrick, N.Y. (1924 or 1927 or 1929) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 46 stops, ~45 ranks Sometime in the 1920s, the Midmer-Losh organ company, successor in 1924 to Reuben Midmer & Sons, rebuilt the c.1902 four-manual organ by Reuben Midmer & Sons, retaining the slider chests. In the 1980s, the organ was again rebuilt by James A. Konzelman Organs of Bayonne, N.J. Konzelman releathered the pull-down action and stop action, and installed a new console. Following are the specifications of the Midmer-Losh organ as recorded in 1966 by Larry Trupiano of Brooklyn.

Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16	Open Diapason	61	4	Octave	61
8	Open Diapason	61	4	Waldflute	61
8	Second Open Diapason	61	2	Flute Harmonique	61
8	Clarabella	61	2	Super Octave	61
8	Doppel Flute	61	16	Double Trumpet	61
8	Gemshorn	61	8	Trumpet	61
8	Viola di Gamba	61	4	Clarion	61

Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16	Bourdon	61	4	Principal	61
8	Open Diapason	61	4	Flauto Traverso	61
8	Stopped Diapason	61	2	Flageolet	61
8	Quintadena	61	16	Contra Fagotto	61
8	Viol d'Orchestre	61	8	Cornopean	61
8	Salicional	61	8	Oboe	61
8	Vox Celeste (TC)	49	8	Vox Humana	61
8	Dolce d'Amour	61		Tremulant

Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
16	Lieblich Gedacht	61	4	Flute d'Amour	61
8	Open Diapason	61	4	Violina	61
8	Melodia	61	2	Piccolo	61
8	Keraluphon	61	8	Clarinet	61
8	Dulciana	61		Tremulant
8	Unda Maris (TC)	49

Pedal Organ – 30 notes
32	Bourdon [ext.?]	30	16	Lieblich Gedacht	CH
16	Open Diapason	30	8	Violoncello	30
16	Bourdon	30	16	Trombone	30
16	Dulciana	30

Couplers
	Swell to Pedal 8', 4'			Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'
	Great to Pedal 8'			Great to Great 4'
	Choir to Pedal 8', 4'			Swell to Swell 16', 4', Unison Off
	Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'			Choir to Choir 16', 4' Unison Off
	Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'

Reuben Midmer and Sons Organ (1892) in St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church - Brooklyn, NY

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

In 1892, a new four-manual organ was installed by Reuben Midmer & Sons of Brooklyn. This organ was known as the "Columbus Organ" because it was erected in the Quadro-Centennial year of 1892. The organ had 3,330 pipes, and measured 35 feet wide, 30 feet deep, and 45 feet high. Two Ross water motors provided power to the bellows. The solemn inauguration of the organ took place during morning and evenings services on Sunday, November 6, 1892. Music was provided by the church choir, assisted by a quartette of eminent artists, led by Mr. Joseph A. Campbell, Musical Director and Organist. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.

Unknown Builder
(c.1885)
Mechanical action

In the fall of 1885, a Mr. John Good directed Father O'Hare to have an organ built as his expense. Described as "a two-manual organ which did good service for years," the organ replaced the smaller instrument installed several years earlier. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.

Unknown Builder
(early 1880s)

According to the Historical Sketch of St. Antony's Church (1897), after the 1875 Erben organ was removed, "an instrument, which was only a mere excuse for an organ, occupied the loft. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.

Henry Erben
New York City (1875)
Mechanical action

The original organ in St. Antony of Padua was built in 1875 by Henry Erben of New York City. Due to "financial troubles in the early 1880s, the organ was removed and afterward sold by the maker" to Father McNulty, of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Paterson, N.J. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.

Organ in the Lower Church: Estey Organ Company Brattleboro, Vt. – Opus 3091 (1938) Electro-pneumatic key action 2 manuals, 21 registers, 3 stops, 3 ranks This small three-rank unit organ was built by the Estey Organ Company and installed in the Lower Church. It had a detached console with celluloid keys, and "Oak finish as Birch." The Estey Shop Order states, "church seats 1200 therefore voice loud."

Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
16	Bourdon [A]	97	4	Octave	B
8	Diapason [B]	73	4	Salicet	C
8	Salicional [C]	73	4	Flute	A
8	Gedeckt	A	2	Piccolo	A

Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
16	Bourdon	A	4	Salicet	C
8	Diapason	B	4	Flute d'Amour	A
8	Salicional	C	2 2/3	Twelfth	A
8	Gedeckt	A	2	Piccolo	A
4	Octave	B		Tremulant

Pedal Organ – 32 notes, enclosed
16	Bourdon	A	8	Salicional	C
8	Diapason	B	8	Flute	A

Pedal Movements
	Balanced Swell Pedal
	Balanced Crescendo Pedal

Organ in the Chapel (possibly Lower Church):

Reuben Midmer and Sons
Brooklyn or Merrick, N.Y. (before 1917)
Unknown action
2 manuals

Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.

Organ in the Chapel (possibly Lower Church):

Reuben Midmer & Sons
Brooklyn or Merrick, N.Y. (1900)
Unknown action
1 manual

Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.

Organ in the Lower Church:

Henry Erben
New York City (1874)
Mechanical action

This organ by Henry Erben was probably installed in the Lower Church, which was used for services until the main church was ready. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.

Sources:
     "A Triduum to St. Anthony," The Brooklyn Eagle (June 11, 1893).
     Carnahan, John. Factory Shop Order for Estey Organ, Op. 3091 (1938).
     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.
     The Estey Pipe Organ website: www.esteyorgan.com
     Goldberger, Paul. "Metropolitan Baedeker; Greenpoint, Still an Urban, Ethnic Village," The New York Times (Mar. 1, 1985).
     Hellman, Peter. "Old-World Poland With an East River View," The New York Times (Jan. 6, 1995).
     Historical Sketch of The Church of St. Antony of Padua, Brooklyn, N.Y., with an Account of the Rectorship of Rev. P. F. O'Hare, Published on the Occasion of His Silver Jubilee, March 19, 1897. Pub. by the church, 1897.
     Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
     "St. Anthony's – Dedication of the New Church in Greenpoint," The Brooklyn Eagle ( June 14, 1875).
     "St. Anthony's R.C. Church Consecrated by Bishop," The Brooklyn Eagle (Dec. 22, 1902).
     Trupiano, Larry. Specifications of the Midmer-Losh organ.

Illustrations:
     Historical Sketch of The Church of St. Anthony of Padua, Brooklyn, N.Y.
     New York Architecture Images website: http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GPT/gpt021.htm

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