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Union Church of Bay Ridge
(Reformed Church in America and Presbyterian)
7915 Ridge Boulevard
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11209 http://www.unionchurchbayridge.org/
Before there were cars or subways, before there was a bridge to Staten Island, when Bay Ridge was green with lawns and "country" farms, there was a church. Two churches actually – a Dutch Reformed church [Bay Ridge Reformed Church] at 80th Street and Ridge Boulevard, and a Presbyterian church one block south, at 81st Street and Ridge Boulevard. The cornerstone of the Dutch Reformed church was laid in June of 1896.
The Presbyterians also laid the cornerstone of their church in April 1896. According to Andrew Dolkart, author of Landmarks of New York City, the architect of the Dutch Reformed church (the front part of the present sanctuary of Union Church) was Arthur Bates Jennings.
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Church with steeple |
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Credit: Thomas Hobson Williams |
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Dr. Walter R. Ferris was the Presbyterian minister, and Dr. Charles Scudder was called, with notable brevity, to serve the Dutch. "The secretary mailed the notice, and Dr. Scudder accepted the call." There was a grand total of 32 members at both churches. Since Dr. Scudder owned a little sloop, he would take people sailing, and Dr. Ferris would take them out driving in his horse and rig. "I sail people into church, but he drives them," Dr. Scudder liked to say of his colleague. Though each small congregation displayed ambition for its own church, it soon became apparent that "Presbyterians and Reformed people exhibited the same faith, vision, and piety." In December 1918 a merger was accomplished, and Union Church as we know it came into being. Dr. Horace Leavitt was the first minister of The Union Church of Bay Ridge. There was no Parish House or Sunday School then. Classes met in the church kitchen or in the belfry. In 1924, as the population of Bay Ridge grew, a dedicated congregation struggled to raise money, and the Union Church structure of today was built. A lightning strike destroyed the steeple in 1937. In 1931 the parish House was erected on the site of the Presbyterian Church.
From the Union Church of Bay Ridge website
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Credit: Thomas Hobson Williams |
Various Builders
(c.1990-2007)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 37 registers, 23 stops, 36 ranks
Since about 1990, the organ has been revised by various builders. First, the Schantz Organ Company removed some of the reed and mixture ranks and installed a secondhand Clarinet rank. Then in 2007, John Klauder Pipe Organ Service made extensive console revisions, including new coupling and combination systems, MIDI capability, and Skinner stop names. Following is the specification provided by Gregg Patruno in May 2018: |
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Great Organ – 61 notes
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16 |
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Bourdon |
61 |
8 |
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Trumpet (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Principal |
61 |
8 |
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Flauto Dolce (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Gedeckt |
61 |
8 |
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Flauto Dolce Celeste (Sw) |
— |
4 |
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Octave |
61 |
4 |
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Rohr Flute (Sw) |
— |
2 |
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Super Octave |
61 |
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MIDI on Great |
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1 1/3 |
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Mixture V ranks |
305 |
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Positive Organ – 61 notes
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8 |
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Rohr Flute |
85 |
2 |
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Flute (fr. 8') |
— |
4 |
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Principal |
73 |
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Scharf IV ranks |
244 |
4 |
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Rohr Flute (fr. 8') |
— |
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2 |
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Octave (fr. 4' Principal) |
— |
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MIDI on Positive |
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Swell Organ – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Gedeckt |
61 |
2 |
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Octave |
61 |
8 |
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Salicional |
61 |
1 |
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Mixture III-IV rks (actually III) |
183 |
8 |
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Voix Celeste |
61 |
8 |
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Trumpet |
61 |
8 |
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Flauto Dolce |
61 |
8 |
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Clarinet |
61 |
8 |
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Flauto Dolce Celeste |
61 |
8 |
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Vox Humana |
61 |
4 |
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Principal |
61 |
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Tremulant |
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4 |
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Rohr Flute |
61 |
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MIDI on Swell |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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32 |
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Grand Cornet (derived) |
— |
4 |
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Super Octave (fr. Diapason) |
— |
16 |
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Diapason |
56 |
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Mixture V ranks |
160 |
16 |
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Bourdon (Gt) |
— |
8 |
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Clarinet (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Octave (fr. Diapason) |
— |
4 |
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Clarinet (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Gedeckt (Gt Bourdon) |
— |
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MIDI on Pedal |
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Couplers
(rocking tablets)
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Swell to Pedal 8, 4 |
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Swell to Great 16, 8, 4 |
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Great to Pedal 8 |
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Positive to Great 16, 8, 4 |
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Positive to Pedal 8 |
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Swell to Positive 16, 8, 4 |
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Swell to Swell 16, Unison Off, 4 |
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Adjustable Combinations
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Swell Organ |
Pistons 1-2-3-4 |
(thumb) |
Great Organ |
Pistons 1-2-3-4 |
(thumb) |
Positive Organ |
Pistons 1-2-3-4 |
(thumb) |
Pedal Organ |
Pistons 1-2-3-4 |
(toe) |
General |
Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 |
(thumb) |
General |
Pistons 4-5-6-7-8 |
(toe) |
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Reversibles
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Swell to Pedal (thumb & toe) |
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Choir [sic] to Pedal (thumb & toe) |
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Great to Pedal (thumb & toe) |
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Sforzando (thumb & toe) |
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Expression
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Balanced Choir Pedal [inoperable] |
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Balanced Swell Pedal |
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Crescendo Pedal |
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Henderson-Wilson Co.
Brooklyn, N.Y. (1973)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 40 registers, 26 stops, 44 ranks
In 1973, the Henderson-Wilson Co. of Brooklyn revised the existing 1922 Skinner organ, replacing the enclosed Choir division with an unenclosed Positiv division, and installing a new Klann console. |
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Great Organ – 61 notes (67 mm wind pressure)
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16 |
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Pommer |
61 |
8 |
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Trompette (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Prinzipal |
61 |
8 |
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Spire Flute (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Holz Bordun |
61 |
8 |
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Spire Flute Celeste (Sw) |
— |
4 |
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Oktave |
61 |
4 |
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Rohr Floete (Sw) |
— |
2 |
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Super Octave |
61 |
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1 1/3 |
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Mixtur V |
305 |
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Positiv Organ – 61 notes (57 mm wind pressure)
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8 |
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Rohrfloete |
85 |
1 |
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Scharff V |
305 |
4 |
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Prinzipal |
73 |
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Klangen Zimbel III ranks |
183 |
4 |
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Rohrfloete (fr. 8') |
— |
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Sesquialtera II ranks |
122 |
2 |
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Oktave (fr. 4' Princ) |
— |
8 |
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Krummhorn |
61 |
2 |
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Floete (fr. 8') |
— |
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Swell Organ – 61 notes, enclosed (140 mm wind pressure)
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8 |
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Gedackt |
61 |
2 |
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Oktave |
61 |
8 |
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Salicional |
61 |
1 |
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Plein Jeu IV ranks |
244 |
8 |
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Voix Celeste |
61 |
16 |
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Fagott |
61 |
8 |
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Spire Flute |
61 |
8 |
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Trompette |
61 |
8 |
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Spire Flute Celeste (TC) |
49 |
8 |
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Vox Humana |
61 |
4 |
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Prinzipal |
61 |
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Tremolo |
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4 |
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Rohrfloete |
61 |
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Swell Unison Off |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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16 |
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Cornet de Bombarde |
— |
4 |
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Oktave (fr. 16') |
— |
16 |
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Holz Prinzipal |
56 |
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Mixtur V ranks |
160 |
16 |
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Subbass (Gt Pommer) |
— |
16 |
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Fagott (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Prinzipal (fr. 16') |
— |
8 |
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Fagott (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Gedackt (Gt Pommer) |
— |
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Skinner Organ Company
Boston, Mass. – Opus 382 (1922)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 30 registers, 21 stops, 21 ranks |
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Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
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16 |
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Bourdon (ext. PED) |
17 |
8 |
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Flauto Dolce (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Diapason |
61 |
4 |
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Octave |
61 |
8 |
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Claribel Flute |
61 |
4 |
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Flute (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Gedeckt (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Cornopean (Sw) |
— |
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Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Bourdon |
73 |
8 |
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Flute Celeste (TC) |
61 |
8 |
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Diapason |
73 |
4 |
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Flute |
73 |
8 |
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Gedeckt |
73 |
2 |
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Flautino |
61 |
8 |
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Salicional |
73 |
8 |
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Cornopean |
73 |
8 |
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Voix Celeste |
73 |
8 |
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Corno d'Amour |
73 |
8 |
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Flauto Dolce |
73 |
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Tremolo |
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Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Diapason |
73 |
4 |
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Flute |
73 |
8 |
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Concert Flute |
73 |
8 |
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Clarinet |
73 |
8 |
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Dulciana |
73 |
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Tremolo |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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16 |
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Diapason |
44 |
8 |
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Octave (fr. 16' Diapason) |
— |
16 |
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Bourdon |
44 |
8 |
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Gedeckt (fr. 16' Bourdon) |
— |
16 |
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Echo Bourdon (Sw) |
— |
8 |
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Still Gedeckt (Sw) |
— |
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Organ in Bay Ridge Reformed Church (first building):
J.H. & C.S. Odell & Co.
New York City – Opus 329 (1896)
Unknown action
2 manuals, 8 stops, 8 ranks
The first organ for Bay Ridge Reformed Church was built
in 1896 by J.H. & C.S. Odell & Co. of New York City. In
the Contract (Oct. 1, 1896), we read that the organ
cost $1,500. This specification is Odell's "Style
Twenty-five". |
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Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes
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8 |
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Open Diapason |
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58 |
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8 |
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Gamba (TC) |
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46 |
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8 |
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Melodia (TC) |
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46 |
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8 |
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Stopped Bass |
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12 |
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4 |
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Octave |
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58 |
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Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Viola (TC) |
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46 |
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8 |
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Stopped Diapason (TC) |
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46 |
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8 |
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Unison Bass |
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12 |
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4 |
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Rohr Flöte |
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58 |
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Pedal Organ – 27 notes
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16 |
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Bourdon |
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27 |
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Couplers
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Swell to Great |
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Swell to Pedal |
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Great to Pedal |
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Mechanical Accessories
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Bellows Signal |
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Tremulant |
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Balance Swell Pedal |
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Pedal Movements
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Piano on Great Organ |
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Forte on Great Organ |
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Great to Pedal, Reversible |
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Sources:
The Diapason (June 1924). Stoplist of Skinner Organ Co. organ, Op. 382 (1922). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
Bowen, Jonathan. Stoplist of Henderson–Wilson Co. organ (1973).
Patruno, Gregg. Specification of organ in May 2018.
Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn, comps. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List. New Rev. Ed. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
Petty, Bynum. J.H. & C.S. Odell Annotated Opus List.
Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specification of J.H. & C.S. Odell "Style Twenty-five."
Union Church of Bay Ridge website: http://www.unionchurchbayridge.org/
Illustrations:
New York Big Apple Images (photo: Matthew X. Kiernan. Exterior, 2010). Used by permission.
Union Church of Bay Ridge website. Exterior (pre-1937)
Williams, Thomas Hobson. Interior and organ console. 2018. |
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