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St. Teresa of Avila Church
(Roman Catholic)
563 Sterling Place at Classon Avenue
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238
Organ Specifications:
► III/34 Casavant Frères, Op. 1494 (1934) – Upper Church
• Geo. Kilgen & Son, Op. 4580 (1930) – Auditorium
• Geo. Kilgen & Son, Op. 4448 (1930) – Chancel?
• II/ Reuben Midmer & Sons (1920s) – Lower Church
• I/8 Reuben Midmer & Sons – Upper Church Sanctuary
• III/31 Reuben Midmer & Sons (1887) – Upper Church Gallery |
The parish of St. Teresa of Avila was established by Bishop Loughlin who sent the Rev. Joseph McNamee to organize a new parish in the vacinity of Classon Avenue and Butler Street in the Prospect Heights area of Brooklyn. On May 4, 1874, Father McNamee celebrated the first Mass for 150 souls who met in Mr. D. Gallagher's parlor at 685 Butler Street. The new pastor worked quickly and on August 2, 1874, the cornerstone was laid for the new church. The basement church was dedicated by Bishop Loughlin in January 1875, but the completed church was not dedicated until 1887. While the church was being built, a parochial school measuring 50 feet by 90 feet and taught by 13 Sisters of St. Joseph was opened in September 1883. Three months later, a convent for the sisters was built. The rectory was built in 1913.
As originally designed, the church was to have two lofty towers in its facade, but it was not until 1905 that the 157-foot towers were completed. One of the towers was furnished with a chime of 10 bells from the Meneely Bell Company of Troy, N.Y. Each bell is inscribed with the name of an Irish saint. The Meneely/Troy foundry claimed that it was the sound of this chime which caused that firm to be selected to make the very similar chime for the Cadet Chapel at West Point, N.Y., in 1919. |
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Casavant Frères, Limitée
St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada – Opus 1494 (1934)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 34 stops, 34 ranks
In 1934, a new organ by Casavant Frères of Canada was installed in the gallery. The organ is divided in two with one section on each side of the gallery, while the detached drawknob console is located in the center. |
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Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
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16 |
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Open Diapason |
68 |
4 |
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Principal |
68 |
8 |
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1st Open Diapason |
68 |
4 |
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Harmonic Flute |
68 |
8 |
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2nd Open Diapason |
68 |
2 |
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Fifteenth |
61 |
8 |
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Doppel Flute |
68 |
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Mixture III ranks |
204 |
8 |
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Gemshorn |
68 |
8 |
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Trumpet |
68 |
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Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Bourdon |
68 |
4 |
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Flauto Traverso |
68 |
8 |
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Open Diapason |
68 |
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Mixture IV ranks |
272 |
8 |
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Stopped Diapason |
68 |
16 |
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Fagotto |
68 |
8 |
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Viole da Gamba |
68 |
8 |
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Cornopean |
68 |
8 |
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Voix Celeste |
68 |
8 |
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Oboe |
68 |
4 |
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Octave |
68 |
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Tremulant |
CH |
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Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Geigen Principal |
68 |
2 2/3 |
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Nazard |
68 |
8 |
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Melodia |
68 |
8 |
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Clarinet |
68 |
8 |
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Unda Maris |
68 |
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Tremulant |
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4 |
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Lieblich Flute |
68 |
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| Chimes [from previous organ] |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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16 |
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Open Diapason [unit] |
44 |
8 |
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Octave |
— |
16 |
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Metal Open Diapason |
GT |
8 |
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Stopped Flute |
— |
16 |
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Bourdon [unit] |
44 |
16 |
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Trombone [ext. GT] |
12 |
16 |
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Gedeckt |
SW |
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Couplers
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Great to Pedal 8', 4' |
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Choir to Great 16', 8', 4' |
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Swell to Pedal 8', 4' |
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Great Sub, Super |
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Choir to Pedal 8', 4' |
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Swell Sub, Super |
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Swell to Great 16', 8', 4' |
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Choir Sub, Super |
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Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4' |
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Adjustable Combinations
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Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 |
affecting Great Organ |
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Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 |
affecting Swell Organ |
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Pistons No. 1-2-3 |
affecting Choir Organ |
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Pistons No. 1-2 |
affecting Pedal Organ |
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Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5 |
affecting all stops and couplers |
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General Release |
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Adjuster |
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Reversible Pistons
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Great to Pedal (dup. by foot) |
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Choir to Great |
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Swell to Pedal |
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Swell to Choir |
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Choir to Pedal |
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Full Organ (foot) |
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Swell to Great |
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Balanced Pedals
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Swell Pedal to Swell |
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Swell Pedal to Choir |
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Crescendo on all stops and couplers |
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Organ installed in the School Auditorium:
Geo. Kilgen & Son
St. Louis, Mo. – Opus 4580 (1930)
Electro-pneumatic action
Specifications for this organ have not yet been located. |
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Geo. Kilgen & Son
St. Louis, Mo. – Opus 4448 (1930)
Electro-pneumatic action
It is believed that this organ was installed in the chancel of the Upper Church. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located. |
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Organ in the Lower Church
Reuben Midmer & Sons
Merrick, N.Y. (1920s)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals
The organ in the Lower Church was built by Reuben Midmer & Sons, but in later years the console had only a nameplate for Wilfrid Lavallée, an installer and local representative of Casavant Frères from 1924-1956. About 2002, the damaged console was removed, but the pipes and blower are extant. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located. |
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Organ in Sanctuary of the Upper Church
Reuben Midmer & Sons
Merrick, N.Y.
Mechanical action
1 manual, 8 stops
In the sanctuary (chancel) of the Upper Church was an organ built by Reuben Midmer & Sons. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located. |
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Organ in Gallery of the Upper Church
Reuben Midmer & Sons
Brooklyn or Merrick, N.Y. (1887)
Tracker-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 31 stops
The original organ in St. Teresa of Avila Church was built by Reuben Midmer & Sons of Brooklyn. It had three manuals and 31 stops (Great 10, Swell 10, Choir 7, Pedal 4). Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
An article in the Brooklyn Eagle (Sep. 4, 1887) mentions that "Frederick Preston, organist at the Church of Our Father (Dr. Canfield's), presided at the organ of St. Teresa's Roman Catholic Church, on Tuesday morning, during a marriage ceremony. The organ is brand new and is said to be a fine instrument." |
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Sources:
The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X, Vol. III. New York: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914.
The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America web site: http://www.towerbells.org. Information about the Meneely chimes in St. Teresa's Church.
Casavant Frères, Ltée. Factory Specifications (Mar. 19, 1934) of Casavant Frères Organ, Op. 1494 (1934). Courtesy Stanley Scheer.
"Church News," Brooklyn Eagle (Sep. 4, 1887:10).
Midmer Ledger Book. Entries about Reuben Midmer & Sons organs in the Upper Church. Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
Illustrations:
eBay.com. Undated postcard of church.
Tucci, G. Michael. Baldacchino; Gallery. |
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