St. Francis Xavier Church - Brooklyn, N.Y. (1909 postcard)
 
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Church of St. Francis Xavier
(Roman Catholic)

225 Sixth Avenue at Carroll Street
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215
http://www.stfxbrooklyn.org



Organ Specifications:
Present building (since 1904):
► III/27 Austin Organs Inc., Op. 2698 (1986)
• IV Midmer-Losh Organ Company (1923) – rebuild
► III/43 Reuben Midmer & Son (1904)
First building (1886-1904):
• Reuben Midmer & Son (1886)





Original Church of St. Francis Xavier - Brooklyn, N.Y. (Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection)  
First church building
  
The Roman Catholic Church of St. Francis Xavier of the Indies was founded in 1886 by the Rev. David J. Hickey, the first pastor. The parish was named at the request of Father Hickey for his alma mater, St. Francis Xavier College in New York City. Property was purchased on Sixth Avenue at Carroll Street, and the first church was erected.

  Interior of the Church of St. Francis Xavier - Brooklyn, N.Y. (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1927)
  Interior of present church (1927)
By the late 1890s, Father Hickey began to plan for a new and larger church. First, the old church was removed to President Street, then the cornerstone for the new church was laid by Bishop McDonnell on Sunday afternoon, December 9, 1900. Thomas F. Houghton designed the Gothic church which was estimated to cost $150,000 without furnishings. Houghton had previously designed Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Brooklyn, dedicated in 1895. After several years of construction, the present church building was dedicated on May 15, 1904. The tower of St. Francis Xavier contains a 25-note set of Deagan Tubular Tower Chimes, installed in 1932.
               
Austin Organs
Hartford, Conn. – Opus 2698 (1986)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 38 registers, 23 stops, 27 ranks


The present organ was built by Austin Organs of Hartford, Conn., and is installed behind the original 1904 Midmer organ case. Five ranks were retained from the previous Midmer organ, and preparations were made for eleven additional ranks. If completed as planned, the organ will have a total of 38 ranks.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  
Violone
preparation
4
  
Flöte
preparation
8
   Principal [in facade]
61
2
   Fifteenth
61
8
   Doppelflöte
61
1 1/3
  Mixture IV ranks
244
8
  
Violone (fr. 16')
preparation
   
Chimes
preparation
4
   Octave
61
        
               
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Rohrflöte
61
16
   Basson
73
8
   Viole Pomposa
61
8
   Trompette
61
8
   Viole Celeste (TC)
49
8
   Basson (fr. 16')
—
4
   Principal
61
8
  
Vox Humana
preparation
4
  
Harmonic Flute
preparation
4
   Clairon
61
2
   Octave
61
     Tremulant (valve)  
    Sesquialtera II ranks (TC)
98
     Vox Tremulant  
   
Plein Jeu III ranks
preparation
       
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Italian Principal
61
1
   Principal (fr. 2')
—
8
   Voce Humana (TC)
49
8
   Clarinet
61
8
   Holzgedeckt
61
     Tremulant (fan)  
4
   Quintadena
61
8
   Festival Trumpet
61
2
   Principal
73
     Harp  
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
  
Subbass
preparation
    Harmonic IV ranks
derived
16
   Open Wood
56
    
Mixture III ranks
preparation
16
   Principal (in facade)
56
32
  
Basson [ext. SW]
preparation
16
   Violone
GT
16
   Trombone (ext. CH)
12
16
   Gedeckt (ext. CH)
12
16
   Basson
SW
8
   Octave (fr. 16' OW)
—
8
   Festival Trumpet
CH
8
   Bass Flute (fr. 16' Prin.)
—
8
   Basson
SW
4
   Choral Bass (fr. 16' OW)
—
8
   Clarinet
CH
4
   Flöte (fr. 16' Prin.)
—
4
   Basson
SW
               
Midmer-Losh Organ Company
Merrick, N.Y. (1923)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals


The Midmer-Losh Company rebuilt the original 1904 organ and enlarged it to four manuals. By the 1980s, the organ had become unplayable. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
               
  Reuben Midmer & Sons organ (1904) in the Church of St. Francis Xavier - Brooklyn, NY
Reuben Midmer & Son
Brooklyn, N.Y. (1904)
Tubular-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 40 registers, 38 stops, 43 ranks




The original organ in the present St. Francis Xavier Church was built in 1904 by Reuben Midmer & Son of Brooklyn. This organ cost $9,500 less a $1,000 credit for the old organ. Installed in the gallery of the church, the tubular-pneumatic organ included a seven-section facade with three towers.

Pipe counts listed below are suggested, based on similar Midmer organs from this period.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
   Double Open Diapason
61
4
   Octave
61
8
   First Open Diapason
61
4
   Flute Harmonique
61
8
   Second Open Diapason
61
2
   Super Octave
61
8
   Viola di Gamba
61
     Mixture IV ranks
244
8
   Doppel Flute
61
8
   Trumpet
61
               
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon
73
4
   Flute Traverso
73
8
   Open Diapason
73
2
   Flageolet
61
8
   Salicional
73
     Dolce Cornet III ranks
183
8
   Aeoline
73
16
   Contra Fagotta
73
8
   Vox Celeste (TC)
61
8
   Cornopean
73
8
   Stopped Diapason
73
8
   Oboe
73
4
   Fugara
73
8
   Vox Humana
73
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Contra Gamba
73
8
   Quintadena
73
8
   Violin Diapason
73
4
   Violina
73
8
   Dulciana
73
4
   Flute d'Amour
73
8
   Clarinet Flute
73
2
   Piccolo
61
8
   Melodia
73
8
   Clarinet
73
               
Pedal Organ – 30 notes
16
   Double Open Diapason
30
16
   Double Gamba
CH
16
   Bourdon
30
8
   Violoncello
30
16
   Lieblich Gedackt
SW
16
   Trombone
30
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8'   Choir to Great 16', 8'
    Swell to Pedal 8'   Great 4'
    Choir to Pedal 8'   Swell to Choir 8'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'    
               
Piston Combinations
   
Great & Pedal Organs Pistons No. 0-1-2-3-4-5-6  
Swell & Pedal Organs Pistons No. 0-1-2-3-4-5-6  
Choir & Pedal Organs Pistons No. 0-1-2-3-4  
  Grand Forte piston  
               
Pedal Combinations
    Great Forte   Choir Forte
    Great Piano   Choir Piano
    Swell Forte    
    Swell Piano   Sforzando Pedal
               
Pedal Movements
    Balanced Swell Pedal   Pedal Release
    Balanced Choir Pedal   General Release
    Grand Crescendo Pedal   Swell Tremulant
    Great to Pedal Reversible    
               
Accessories
    Swell Tremulant (tilting tablet)   Wind Indicator
    Choir Tremulant (tilting tablet)   Crescendo Indicator
               
Reuben Midmer & Son
Brooklyn, N.Y. (1886)
Mechanical action


The first St. Francis Xavier Church had an organ built in 1886 by Reuben Midmer & Son. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
               
Sources:
     Midmer & Son Ledger Book. Entries (1904) concerning organ. Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
     "Midmer Pipe Organs." Brooklyn: Reuben Midmer & Sons, Inc., c.1917. Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
     The New Music Review (March 1905). Specification of Reuben Midmer & Son Organ (1904). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
     "New St. Francis Xavier's," The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Dec. 2, 1900).
     Peterson, Mark. Stoplist of Austin Organ, Op. 2698 (1986).
     St. Francis Xavier Church website: http://www.stfxbrooklyn.org/
     Tower Bells Supersite website: http://home.swbell.net/csz_stl/towerbells/TowerBells.html

Illustrations:
     Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection. Original church, 1927 interior photo.
     eBay.com. Poscard (1909).
     "Midmer Pipe Organs." Photo of Reuben Midmer & Son organ (c.1917).