Episcopal Church of St. Mark - Brooklyn, NY
 
Click on images to enlarge
Church of St. Mark
(Episcopal)

1417 Union Street and Brooklyn Avenue
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11213
http://stmarksbrooklyn.org

Organ Specifications:
1417 Union Street and Brooklyn Avenue (since 1889)
► III/36 Berkshire Organ Company, Op. 143 (1986)
► III/16 Austin Organs Inc., Op. 1841 (1933)
• II/15 Reuben Midmer & Sons (1901)
Bedford (Fourth) Avenue at South Fifth Street (1841-1896)
• II/20 Firth & Hall (1841)


1841 building of St. Mark's Episcopal Church Parish House - Brooklyn, N.Y.  
St. Mark's Protestant Episcopal Church was organized in 1838. In October of the next year, Dr. Samuel M. Haskins (1813-1900) was called to be rector, a position that he held for sixty years until his death. Under Dr. Haskins's leadership, the society built a church of hammered stone in the Gothic style at the corner of Bedford Avenue and South Fifth Street. The church was completed in April 1841 and consecrated on the 27th day of the same month. For the next six decades the congregation worshiped in this edifice, but in 1896 the vestry was notified that the property on which the church and rectory stood would be condemned in order to build the approach to the new "East River" (Brooklyn) Bridge.

  1899 Proposal for St. Mark's Episcopal Church Parish House - Brooklyn, N.Y.
 
1899 Proposal for St. Mark's Church
A committee was appointed to select a suitable location for a new church, and in 1898 a plot of six lots bounded by Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn Avenue and Union Street was purchased. On this site would be built a new church in the Romanesque style, parish house, rectory and other buildings. After further consideration, the vestry decided to first build the parish house that would include a suitable room for worship.

Parish House of St. Mark's Episcopal Church - Brooklyn, N.Y. (1910 Postcard)  
1910 Postcard of Parish House
  
New Facade and Tower of St. Mark's Episcopal Church - Brooklyn, N.Y. (Brooklyn Eagle, 1937)  
1937 Construction of Façade and Tower
 
The cornerstone of the new parish house was laid on January 26, 1901. Designed by Henry M. Congdon & Son of New York, the brick and stone structure would be in the Gothic style and measure 45 feet 8 inches by 85 feet 8 inches. The cellar would contain the boiler, rooms for boys' guilds, a gymnasium and billiard room. In the basement, which was above ground, would be the parish guild rooms, parlor and kitchen. At the west end was a broad flight of stone steps that ascended to an exterior entrance; on this level were a library and choir room, plus the main assembly room with a raised platform at the east end that would be fitted as a temporary chancel for services until the permanent church could be built. Also at the west end was an upper floor containing classrooms and a connection to the gallery of the assembly room. On September 8, 1901, the parish house was opened with a service of dedication and holy communion. At this time, the society became known as the Church of St. Mark.

The permanent church was never built. Instead, The New York Times (Oct. 1, 1929) reported that the 150 by 110 foot lot on the southeast corner of Eastern Parkway and Brooklyn Avenue was sold for about $1,500,000 to a developer who planned to erect a fifteen-story apartment house. As actually constructed, the apartment building had only six stories, perhaps due to the onset of the Great Depression.

In 1937, the west end of the parish house was altered when a new façade and tower were added.
               
Berkshire Organ Company, Inc.
West Springfield, Mass. – Opus 143 (1987)
Electric-slider action
3 manuals, 45 stops, 36 ranks


In 1987, the Berkshire Organ Company installed a new organ that included exposed Great and Positiv divisions at the front of the church. The three-manual console had drawknobs operating solar-powered, pressurized-gas stop slider actions. This organ has since been upgraded but details have not yet been located.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 56 notes
16
   Quintaton [unit]
80
1 1/3
  Mixtur IV ranks
224
8
   Diapason (façade)
56
(8)
   Sesquialter II ranks [TC]
88
8
   Rohrflöte
56
8
  
Trompete
56
4
   Principal
56
8
  
Trompeta Real (Ancillary)
56
4
   Pommergedeckt [Quint.]
—
    
Chimes
25 tubes
2
   Blockflöte
56
        

     

     
Positiv Organ (Manual II) – 56 notes
8
   Singendgedeckt
56
1 1/3
   Quintflöte
56
8
   Viol
SW
2/3
   Scharf III ranks
168
4
   Prestant (façade)
56
8
   Krummhorn
56
4
   Koppelflöte
56
8
   Trompeta Real
GT
2
   Prinzipal
56
     Tremolo [electronically paced]
               
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 56 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon [unit]
68
1 1/3
   Plein Jeu III-IV ranks
212
8
   Flûte Couverte [Bourdon]
—
16
  Basson [unit]
68
8
   Viol
56
8
   Schalmei
—
8
   Viol Céleste [TC]
44
8
   Vox Humana
56
4
   Principal
56
     Tremolo [fan type]  
4
   Spitzflöte
56
     Swell Super  
2
   Octavin
56
        
               
Pedal Organ – 30 notes
32
   Resultant Bass
—
4
   Choralbass
—
16
   Contrabass
30
4
   Pommergedeckt
GT
16
   Subbass [unit]
42
    
Mixtur
preparation
16
   Quintaton
GT
16
   Posaune [ext. GT]
12
16
   Bourdon
SW
16
   Basson
SW
8
   Principalbass [unit]
42
8
   Trompete
GT
8
   Gedecktbass [Subbass]
—
4
   Klarine
GT
8
   Nasongedeckt
GT
4
   Hautbois
SW
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8'   Positiv to Great 16', 8'
    Positiv to Pedal 8'   Swell to Great 8', 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8'   Swell to Positiv 8'
               
Adjustable Combinations
   
Great Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Positiv Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Swell Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Pedal Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
General Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (thumb; 1-6 dup. by toe)
    General Cancel          
               
Reversibles
    Full Organ (thumb & toe)   Positiv to Great (thumb)
    Great to Pedal (thumb)   Swell to Great (thumb)
    Positiv to Pedal (thumb)   Trumpet Off (thumb)
    Swell to Pedal (thumb)   Signal
               
Mechanicals
    Full Organ indicator light   Signal light
    Swell sequence lights   Chimes volume control
    Crescendo sequence lights    
               
Pedal Movements
    Balanced Swell Pedal      
    Crescendo Pedal      
               
Austin Organs Inc.
Hartford, Conn. – Opus 1841 (1933)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 26 stops, 16 ranks


In 1933, Austin Organs Inc. installed a three-manual organ in the Church of St. Mark. The main chamber, located on the left side, contained the Great and Choir divisions and the Pedal, while the Swell was in a chamber over the sacristy on the right side. Preparations were made for the additions of two stops each in the Great, Swell and Choir chests. In 1977, Austin returned to rebuild the organ.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed with Choir
8
   Open Diapason
73
4
   Harmonic Flute
73
8
   Clarabella
73
8
   Tromba
73
8
   Dulciana
73
    
Chimes
25 tubes
4
   Octave
73
      

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon [unit]
97
4
   Flute d'Amour
—
8
   Open Diapason
73
2 2/3
  Nazard
—
8
   Gedeckt
—
2
   Flageolet
—
8
   Salicional
73
8
   Oboe Horn
73
8
   Voix Celeste [TC]
61
8
   Vox Humana [sep. box & trem.]
61
8
   Dolcissimo
73
     Tremolo [valve]  
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed with Great
8
   Violin Diapason
73
4
   Flute Harmonic
GT
8
   Clarabella
GT
8
   Clarinet
73
8
   Dulciana
GT
     Tremolo  
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
   Open Diapason [unit]
44
8
   Octave
—
16
   Bourdon
SW
8
   Gedeckt
SW
             
Reuben Midmer & Sons
Brooklyn, N.Y. (1901)
Tubular-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 15 stops


The Brooklyn Eagle (Sep. 7, 1901) reported that the service of dedication for the new parish house inclded special music "in addition to the organ and choir."

An entry in a Midmer & Sons Ledger Book states that this organ had tubular action and wwo manuals and 15 stops. A motor was installed in 1907. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
               
Organ in church located on Bedford Avenue and South Fifth Street:

Firth & Hall
New York City (1841)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 20 stops


Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
               
Sources:
     "Can't Build Parish House on Part of Union Street," Brooklyn Eagle (Nov. 17, 1900).
     Church of St. Mark web site: http://stmarksbrooklyn.org
     "Church Sells Brooklyn Site For Tall Apartment House," The New York Times (Oct. 1, 1929).
     The Diapason, August 1933. Specifications of Austin organ, Op. 1841 (1933). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
     "Forced by Bridge to Move," Brooklyn Eagle (Jan. 24, 1901).
     Melrose, David. Factory Specifications of Berkshire Organ, Op. 143 (1987). Courtesy Carl MaultsBy.
     Midmer & Sons Ledger Book. Entry about 1901 Midmer organ and 1907 motor. Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
     "New Church in Williamsburg," The New York Times (Mar. 21, 1898).
     "Parish House Opening," Brooklyn Eagle (Sep. 7, 1901).
     "St. Mark's New Church Plans Now Complete," Brooklyn Eagle (Oct. 12, 1899).
     "St. Mark's P.E. Church to Move," The New York Times (Mar. 10, 1896).
     The Triple Semi-Centennial Anniversary of St. Mark's Church, Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn 1839-1889. Published by the church, 1890.
     Thompson, Benjamin Franklin. The History of Long Island; From Its Discovery and Settlement, to the Present Time. Second Edition, Vol. I, New York: Gould, Banks & Co., 1843.

Illustrations:
     Brooklyn Eagle (Mar. 28, 1937), Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection. Construction of facade and tower.
     Brooklyn Eagle (Oct. 12, 1899), Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection. Drawing of proposed church.
     eBay.com. 1910 postcard of church.
     St. Mark Church web site: http://stmarksbrooklyn.org. Exterior.
     The Triple Semi-Centennial Anniversary of St. Mark's Church. Exterior of original church (1890).