Centro María Residence
(Roman Catholic)

539 West 54th Street
New York, N.Y. 10036


Organ Specifications:
► III/21 Austin Organ Company, Op. 75 (1903) – moved (ca.1948)
► II10 Estey Organ Company, Op. 1033 (1912)


Centro María, run by the Sisters of Mary Immaculate, provides care and a home to women from different countries that come to work or to study in New York. The center also provides assistance in job placement for the young women. Sunday masses are celebrated in the chapel.

Centro María occupies the former St. Ambrose Catholic Church, founded in 1897 and disbanded in 1938. Designed in 1911 by John T. Van Pelt, the brick complex has Gothic details and includes a four-story church, school and rectory.
               

Austin Organ Company
Hartford, Conn. – Opus 75 (1903)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 23 stops, 21 ranks


Austin Organ Company's Op. 75 was originally built for a music school in Philadelphia. When the school closed around 1904, the organ was moved to Christ Church, New Brighton in Staten Island. The organ had tubular-pneumatic action and was powered by a water motor. In 1948, five ranks of the Austin organ were incorporated into a new instrument built by M.P. Möller (Op. 7590), and the remainder was rebuilt and moved to the Centro María Residence. Following is the original specification showing the five ranks that were retained by Möller. Specifications of the organ as rebuilt and moved have not yet been located. The status of this organ as of 2007 is unknown.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Open Diapason
61
8
  Concert Flute
61
8
  Viola de Gamba
61
4
   Octave
61
8
  Viola Dolce
61
     
 
   
 
   
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Viole d'Amour *
61
4
   Fugara
61
8
  Open Diapason
61
  Dulciana Mixture III ranks
183
8
  Aeoline
61
8
   Cornopean
61
8
  Voix Celeste [TC]
61
8
   Oboe
61
8
   Gedeckt *
61
  Tremulant
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Dulciana *
61
4
   Flute d'Amour
61
8
   Melodia *
61
8
  
Clarinet
preparation
 
   
 
   
Pedal Organ – 30 notes
16
  Bourdon
42
8
  Flute [ext.]
—
16
  Violone *
42
8
  Violoncello [ext.]
—
16
   Dolce
SW
        
            * ranks not moved to present location
Piston Movements
    Four affecting Swell and Pedal organs
    Four affecting Great and Pedal organs
    Four affecting Choir and Pedal organs
    Three release pistons for respective manual groups
    General release for all groups
     
Pedal Movements
    Four affecting entire organ
    General release, reducing to stops drawn
    Sforzando, affecting entire organ with selected couplers
    Balanced Crescendo, affecting entire organ without couplers
    Balanced Swell Pedal

               

Estey Organ Company
Brattleboro, Vt. – Opus 1033 (1912)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 10 stops, 10 ranks


The original organ was built in 1912 by the Estey Organ Company for St. Ambrose Catholic Church. Estey provided bronzed front pipes and a console at the C-sharp end of the case. The entire organ was voiced on 5" wind pressure.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
8
  Open Diapason
61
8
  Melodia
61
8
  Dulciana
61
4
   Flute d'Amour
61
 
   
 
   
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
8
   Open Diapason
61
4
   Flute Harmonique
61
8
  Salicional
61
8
   Oboe [TC]
49
8
  Stopped Diapason
61
  Tremolo
               
Pedal Organ – 30 notes
16
  Bourdon
30
        
               
Couplers
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Great to Pedal
    Great Unison Separation   Swell to Pedal
    Swell to Swell 16', 4', Unison Separation    

               

Sources:
     Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     The Estey Pipe Organ website: www.esteyorgan.com
     Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
     Ochse, Orpha. Austin Organs. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 2001.
     Stimmel, Phil: Estey Organ Company Shop Order with specifications of Estey Organ, Op. 1033 (1912).

               

| NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |