Grace Church (Episcopal) - City Island, Bronx, N.Y.
 
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Grace Church
(Episcopal)

116 City Island Avenue
City Island (The Bronx), N.Y. 10464
http://gracecityisland.org


Organ Specifications:
► I/2 M.P. Möller, Inc. "Sputnik" model – second-hand
► III/18 A.B. Felgemaker, Op. 1247 (1917); inst. (c.1931)




Grace Episcopal Church has served its nautical community since 1849. Through the dedication of the Rev. C.W. Bolton and his sister Adele Bolton, son and daughter of the Rev. Robert Bolton (builder and Rector of Christ Church in Pelham), our church was conceived and became a reality, bringing the Christian doctrine to (as described by the Rev. C.W. Bolton) a community of "800 souls almost entirely neglected and destitute of the means of grace." Luckily, through grace, our Island home has come far, and our small church has gathered a rich history in those years. The dedication of our co-foundress, Adele Bolton, was shown through her weekly trips by rowboat (prior to our bridge being built), from Pelham to the island to minister to our small mission. "Finding the population of the island rapidly increasing, and growing up without the fear of God before their eyes, Miss Bolton, determined to exhert herself and appealed to her acquaintences for help, which was liberally responded to."

Her brother resigned in 1857 and was succeeded by the Rev. M. M. Dillon. In his report in 1862 he made the following references to the work on City Island: "A church is in the process of errection; $1,358.00 has been most generously contributed for this glorious purpose by the young ladies of the Pelham Priory, exclusive of $600.00 promised by the Islanders, one of whom, Mr. G.W. Horton, gave the land and $100.00 towards the funds. Miss Adele Bolton by her own efforts collected $944.00 for Grace Church. The building will cost $3,000.00. Already there is a good and active congregation and a flourishing Sunday School."

Grace Church (Episcopal) - City Island, Bronx, N.Y.  
Local ship carpenters were hired to build the church and all you have to do is look upward to see their craftsmanship. With hand cut beams and rafters, if you turned the church on its roof, it would resemble a ship's hull.

At the time the church was built all of the stained glass windows were created and installed by John Bolton (younger brother of William Bolton). Today, the only Bolton window that remains is the altar window. William Bolton (with whom John apprenticed) is known for bringing the art of figural stained glass to the Americas.

(History from Grace Church web site)
           
M.P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – "Sputnik" model
Direct-electric action
1 manual, 4 registers, 2 stops, 2 ranks


The organ in Grace Church was built by M.P. Möller of Hagerstown, Md., for an unknown location and was donated to the church at some point. Known as the "Sputnik" model (named for the 1957 Soviet satellite), the organ has but one manual to control four stops and two ranks of pipes. Meloni & Farrier of Port Chester, N.Y. was contracted to repair pipes that had been damaged by the movers. In 2013, Meloni & Farrier added a 20-note pedalboard that is permanently connected to the manual.		  
M.P. Moller organ in Grace Episcopal Church - City Island (The Bronx), N.Y.
Möller pipes in front of Felgemaker facade
M.P. Möller organ in Grace Episcopal Church - City Island (Bronx), NYC, NY
Möller console with pedalboard added in 2013
           
Manual – 61 notes
 
8
   Gedeckt
73
 
8
   Spitz Principal (TC)
61
 
4
   Gedeckt (fr. 8')
—
 
4
   Spitz Principal (fr. 8')
—
    
           
Pedal – 20 notes (added 2013)
 
  no stops; permanently coupled to manual  
           
A. B. Felgemaker Co.
Erie, Penn. – Opus 1247 (1917)
Tubular-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 20 registers, 18 stops, 18 ranks


In 1917, Archer Gibson, the private organist of Mr. Charles M. Schwab, was engaged to play for a wedding at Holy Apostles Church in Manhattan. Gibson found the church's "old rattle-bang" Jardine organ to be unsatisfactory and complained to the Rector. With Gibson's assistance, the Carnegie Fund was convinced to provide approximately half the $5000 cost of a new organ, which was built by the A.B. Felgemaker Co. of Erie, Pennsylvania. The three-manual and pedal organ had tubular-pneumatic action, but as the Choir was only prepared for, the organ functioned as a modest two-manual instrument of eighteen ranks. In less than ten years, however, the organ began to fail, and an appeal sought funds to repair and complete the instrument. Money was raised toward that goal, but ultimately, it seemed best to build an entirely new organ. The Felgemaker was sold for $500 to Grace Church on City Island.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
8
   Open Diapason
73
4
   Flute d'Amour
73
8
   Dulciana
73
4
   Octave
73
8
   Viola da Gamba
73
8
   Trumpet
73
8
   Doppel Floete
73
        
               
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon
73
8
   Aeoline
73
8
   Violin Diapason
73
4
   Flute Harmonic
73
8
   Stopped Diapason
73
8
   Oboe
73
8
   Salicional
73
8
   Vox Humana
73
8
   Voix Celeste (TC)
61
        
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
    (console preparation only)      
               
Pedal Organ – 30 notes
16
   Open Diapason
30
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt
SW
16
   Bourdon
30
8
   Flute [ext.]
12
             
Sources:
     Grace Church website: http://gracecityisland.org
     Meloni, Anthony. Specification of M.P. Möller organ.
     Tellers Organ Company (Erie, Pa.). Stoplist of A.B. Fegelmaker Co. organ, Op. 1247 (1917). Courtesy Aaron Tellers.

Illustrations:
     Grace Church website. Exterior; interior showing organ.
     Meloni, Anthony. M.P. Möller organ console with pedalboard added in 2013.