Christ Church (Presbyterian) - New York City
 
Click on images to enlarge
Christ Church
(Presbyterian)

336 West 36th Street
New York, N.Y. 10001

Organ Specifications:
336 West 36th Street (1905-?)
► II/10 M.P. Möller, Inc., Op. 5531 (1929)
► II/10 George S. Hutchings (1905)
228 West 35th Street (1867-1905)
• unknown


Brick Presbyterian Church Mission Chapel - New York City  
Brick Church Mission Chapel (1867-1905)
Christ Presbyterian Church began as the West Side Mission Chapel of the Brick Presbyterian Church. Following "the great and general prosperity which followed the close of the [Civil] war," the trustees of Brick Church decided to erect a building for its mission. A committee was appointed by the mission workers, and pledges amounting to $40,000 were secured. Three lots on the south side of 35th Street, west of Seventh Avenue, were purchased. Construction began on a building described as a hybrid mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles. The brick building had light stone trimmings, and a gabled façade. At the street were three entrances that led to small rooms for church meetings and the pastor's study. Four staircases, one in each corner of the building, led to the Sunday-school room that occupied the entire upper floor. The completed building was dedicated on October 20, 1867. There were 325 present at the opening service, but within a short time that number had increased to seven and eight hundred. The first Christmas festival attracted 1500 persons: 900 children and 600 adults. The Rev. Joseph J. Lampe was appointed pastor, and his ministry continued for nearly 30 years. Under his leadership a dispensary was started in 1872. In 1888, the mission became an independent church, eventually known as Christ Presbyterian Church.

During the winter of 1902-1903, informal conferences discussed the idea of new buildings for the work of Christ Church. Following the sudden death of Rev. Maltbie D. Babcock, pastor of the Brick Church from 1900-01, there was a memorial gift of $50,000 designated to provide new buildings. Real estate conditions increased the value of the property on 35th Street, and it was deemed advisable to sell. By April 1903, over $100,000 was in hand, and the trustees were able to purchase an excellent lot, with a frontage of 125 feet, on West 36th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. In November 1903, plans for the new buildings, designed in the English Gothic style by Parish & Schroeder, were accepted. The buildings would provide space for a large Sunday-school room, bowling alleys, gymnasium, pool room, library, workshop, and kitchen. Ground was broken in June 1904, and the cornerstone was laid on October 26, 1904. The church house was named in memory of Rev. Babcock, and the church was in recognition of Rev. Henry van Dyke, pastor of the Brick Church from 1883-1900. The completed buildings were dedicated on Sunday, October 29, 1905.

After Christ Church closed, the buildings were converted to other uses and are now the Postgraduate Center of Mental Health.
       
M.P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 5531 (1929)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 27 registers, 10 stops, 10 ranks


The Factory Specification (Feb. 5, 1929) shows that Möller rebuilt the earlier George S. Hutchings organ, retaining all of the old ranks and providing a new Clarinet stop. Möller also refitted the old Swell shutters with electric action. The detatched, stop-key console had a casing of quartered oak, and the entire organ was voiced on 5" wind pressure.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed with Swell
8
  Open Diapason *
61
4
   Octave
SW
8
  Viole d'Orchestre *
73
4
   Flute
SW
8
   Stopped Flute
SW
8
   Tuba *
73
8
   Open Flute *
61
4
   Tuba (fr. 8')
—
8
   Viole d'Amour
SW
8
   Clarinet
61

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed with Great
16
   Bourdon **
97
4
  Viola (fr. 8' Viole d'Amour)
—
8
  Open Diapason *
73
4
   Flute (fr. 16' Bdn.)
—
8
  Viole d'Amour *
73
2 2/3
   Twelfth (fr. 16' Bdn.)
—
8
   Viole d'Orchestre
GT
2
   Piccolo (fr. 16' Bdn.)
—
8
   Viole Celeste * (TC)
61
8
   Tuba
GT
8
   Stopped Flute (fr. 16' Bdn.)
—
    
** old Harm. Flute on notes 25-85

     

     
Pedal Organ – 32 notes, enclosed
16
  Open Diapason * (ext. Op. Fl.)
12
10 2/3
   Quint
SW
16
  Bourdon *
44
8
   Flute (fr. Ped. Bdn)
—
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt
SW
8
   Tuba
GT
               
           
* pipes from previous Hutchings organ
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8'       Great 16', 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8'       Swell 16', 4', Unison Separation
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'          
               
Mechanicals
    Tremulant          
    Crescendo Indicator          
               
Pistons
   
Swell & Pedal Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (thumb)
Great & Pedal Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (thumb)
Full Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (toe)
  Pedal Release
           
Pedal Movements
    Great to Pedal Reversible  
    Balanced Swell Pedal  
    Grand Crescendo Pedal  
       
  Christ Church (Presbyterian) - New York City
George S. Hutchings
Boston, Mass. (1905)
Electro-pneumatic action
Two consoles
2 manuals, 10 stops, 10 ranks
               
The original organ in Christ Church was built in 1905 by George S. Hutchings of Boston, to a scheme by S. Archer Gibson, organist of the Brick Church. The following specification was recorded in an organ notebook by Lynnwood Farnam (1885-1930), noted concert organist of the early 20th century. On May 31, 1922, Farnam wrote "Organ in general swell, located in a chamber midway between church and Sunday-school room. Playable from either room (two consoles). Impressive case in church."
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed with Swell
8
  Diapason
61
8
  Viol d'Amour
61
8
  Gross Flute
61
     

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed with Great
8
  Diapason
61
4
  Harmonic Flute
61
8
  Viol d'Orchestre
61
8
   Tuba
61
8
  Viol Celeste
61
       

     

     
Pedal Organ – 30 notes, enclosed
16
  Diapason (wood)
30
     
16
  Bourdon
30
       
               
Tablet Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8'       Swell 16', 4'  
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'       Tremulant  
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'          
               
Pistons
   
Swell & Pedal Pistons 1-2-3-0
Great & Pedal Pistons 1-2-0
  General Release
  Pedal Release
           
Pedal Movements
    Great to Pedal Reversible Pedal  
    Balanced Swell Pedal  
    Balanced Crescendo Pedal  
       
Sources:
     "Christ Church Dedicated," New-York Tribune (Oct. 30, 1905). Courtesy Jim Lewis.
     Farnam, Lynnwood. "Organ Notebook," Specification of Hutchings organ. John de Lancie Library, The Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia. Sally Branca, Archivist. Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
     Knapp, Shepherd. A History of the Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York. Published by the Trustees of the Brick Presbyterian Church, 1908.
     Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specification of M.P. Möller organ, Op. 5531 (1929).

Illustrations:
      Knapp, Shepherd. A History of the Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York: exterior and interior.