St. Paul Lutheran Church (Parkchester) - The Bronx, NY
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St. Paul Lutheran Church

1891 McGraw Avenue at Virginia Avenue
The Bronx, N.Y. 10462
http://bronxstpauls.org/


Organ Specifications:
1891 McGraw Avenue at Virginia Avenue (since 1948)
• II/6 Rodgers Instruments electronic with pipes (1980)
• unknown (1948)
800 East 156th Street (1898-1946)
► II/18 Henry Erben (1839) – installed (1923 or 1925)
East 150th Street and Robbins Avenue (1879-1898)
• unknown


St. Paul's Lutheran Church can trace its roots back to June 1879, when a Sunday School was created in the East Morrisania part of the Bronx. A year later Rev. Buch conducted church services in the home of Mortiz Schmidt. By 1882 St. Paul’s was organized and the new congregation under Pastor Hugo Richter soon built its first church on 150th Street and Robbins Avenue.

In 1898 the second St. Paul’s was erected on East 156th Street near Union Avenue. On its twenty-fifth anniversary sixteen stained glass windows made in Munich graced the church.

The third St. Paul’s began with groundbreaking for the Parish Hall in Parkchester in June 1946. The congregation left its house at 156th Street and services were held at The Circle Theater until the building was completed. Ground was broken in June 1956 on McGraw and Virginia Avenues and the completed church was dedicated in October 1957.

As a part of the 100th Anniversary of the church, a new Rodgers pipe-electronic organ was installed in 1980 and the altar was relocated.
               
Rodgers Instruments LLC
Hillsboro, Ore. (1980)
Digital tonal production plus Ruffatti pipe ranks
2 manuals, 6 pipe ranks


Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
             

Organ in church at 800 East 156th Street:

Henry Erben
New York City (1839)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 18 stops, 18 ranks


The following specification was recorded by F.R. Webber, organ historian, whose "Organ Notebooks" are in the Organ HIstorical Society Archives, Princeton, N.J. Mr. Webber noted that this organ was rebuilt in 1923 (or 1925?) by Louis (Mohr?), and was now in St. Paul's Lutheran, 796 E. 156th, Bronx. It is not known if the organ was altered when rebuilt.

               
Great Organ (Manual I)
8
   Open diapason  
8
   Stopped diapason  
8
   Viola da gamba *  
4
   Night horn  
8
   Dulciana  
4
   Octave  
8
   Melodia  
2
   Fifteenth  

     

 
* "Mixture" in another source
Swell Organ (Manual II) – enclosed
16
   Bourdon  
8
   Stopped diapason  
8
   Open diapason  
4
   Principal  
8
   Dulciana  
4
   Flute  
8
   Violin diapason  
8
   Oboe  
               
Pedal Organ
16
   Open Diapason          
16
   Bourdon          
               
Sources:
     St. Paul Lutheran Church website: http://bronxstpauls.org/
     Webber, F.R. "Organ scrapbook" at Organ Historical Society Archives, Princeton, N.J. Specification of Henry Erben organ (1839). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.

Illustration:
     St. Paul Lutheran Church website. Exterior.