First Chinese Presbyterian Church - New York City

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First Chinese Presbyterian Church

61 Henry Street at Market Street
New York, N.Y. 10002
http://www.fcpc.org


Organ Specifications:
• III/ Allen Organ Company electronic, Model MDS-50 (1992)
► II/16 Henry Erben (1841); reb. by G. F. Adams (1973)
► II/14 Henry Erben (1841); reb. by Geo. Jardine & Son (1860s)
► II/15 Henry Erben (1841)
• I/ Hall & Erben (1824)





The brick and stone Georgian-Gothic church at 61 Henry Street was built in 1817-19 as the Market Street (North) Reformed Church on land donated by Colonel Henry Rutgers. In 1864, the Dutch Reformed Church disbanded. The church building was then bought by Hanson K. Corning in 1866 and it was transferred to the Trustees of New York Presbytery to be occupied by the Church of Sea and Land which served the seamen community in the area. In 1951 the First Chinese Presbyterian Church moved to its current location by sharing the building with the Sea and Land Church. The Sea and Land Church was dissolved in June of 1972, and in 1974 the Presbytery transferred the building as a gift to the First Chinese Presbyterian Church. In 1966, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated both the church building and its Erben pipe organ to be historic landmarks. The church building has the distinction of being the second oldest in New York City.
           
Allen Organ Company
Macungie, Penn. (1992)
Electronic tonal production – Model MDS-50
3 manuals


Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
           
  Henry Erben organ (1841) - First Chinese Presbyterian Church - New York City (LOC: George Herlick, 1936)
  credit: George Herlick (1936) - LOC
Henry Erben
New York City (1841); reb. Gilbert F. Adams (1973)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 14 stops, 16 ranks


The organ in the rear gallery dates from 1841 and was built by Henry Erben of New York City. This organ was revised in the 1860s by Geo. Jardine & Son of New York City (see following entry). In 1973, Gilbert F. Adams, then of New York City, did restorative work to return the organ to its original disposition. Adams also resurfaced the Pedal naturals with Brazilian rosewood.

On April 17, 1977, the Organ Historical Society awarded its distinguished Historical Citation No. 12 in recognition of the Erben Organ as an outstanding example of organbuilding and worthy of preservation.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes [GGG-f3, no GGG# except for 8' Stop'd Diapason]
8
   Open Diapason
58
2
   Fifteenth
58
8
   Stop'd Diapason
59
  Sesquialtera, 3 ranks (bass)
63?
4
   Principal
58
  Cornet, 4 ranks (treble)
148?
3
   Twelfth
58
8
   Trumpet
58
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58-notes [Swell: f-f3, enclosed; Choir: GGG-e (no GGG#), unenclosed]
8
   Dulciana
37
  Choir Bass
8
   Stop'd Diapason
37
8
   Stop'd Diapason
21
4
   Principal
37
4
   Principal
21
4
   Flute
37
   
8
   Hautboy
37
   
               
Pedal Organ – 20 notes [GGGG–DD, but only CCC to CC (13 notes) have pipes]
16
   Open Diapason
13
        
               
Mechanicals
    Great & Swell coupler       Swell pedal  
    Great & Pedal coupler       Bellows Signal  
           
Henry Erben
New York City (1841); reb. by Geo. Jardine & Son (1860s)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 13 stops, 14 ranks


In the 1860s, the Erben organ was altered by Geo. Jardine & Son of New York City. Edward Jardine (son of George and partner in the firm) was organist of Sea and Land Presbyterian Church during this period, and it seems most likely the alterations occurred during his appointment. Jardine added a Pedal (GGGG–DD) that incorporated the open wood basses of the original Erben Great Open Diapason; in their place was added new metal bass pipes, winded from the original Sesquialtera Bass slider. Although the pedalboard had 19 keys (later changed to 20) from GGGG to DD, there were only 13 pipes assigned to notes CCC to CC; notes below and above the C compass either play the octave or sub octave.

Jardine discarded the original Great Cornet Treble and in its place added an 8' Dulciana having 37 pipes; and the old Great Trumpet was replaced by a 4' Flute, also having 37 pipes. The case was modified by adding decorative turrets to the outside towers (an attempt to conceal the added pedal pipes) and by the decoration on the top of the central flat. The adjacent flats contain half-round wood dummy pipes. Later, the case received a faux finish to simulate walnut.
 
The original Great manual compass was GGG to f3, 58 notes. Jardine added the low GGG# (that one sharp key has the very distinctive Jardine shape) which controlled a valve located on the side of the low GGG of the Stop'd Diapason. That is the only rank which had the capability of 59 notes, all other ranks had 58 note compasses.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes [GGG–f3, no GGG#]
8
   Open Diapason
46
4
   Principal
58
8
   Open Diapason Bass
12
4
   Flute [TF]
37
8
   Stop'd Diapason
59
2 2/3
  Twelfth
58
8
   Dulciana [TF]
37
2
   Fifteenth
58
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes [Swell: f–f3, enclosed; Choir: GGG–e (no GGG#), unenclosed]
8
   Open Diapason
37
  Choir Bass
8
   Stop'd Diapason
37
8
   Stop'd Diapason
21
4
   Principal
37
4
   Principal
21
  Cornet II ranks
74
   
8
   Trumpet
37
   
               
Pedal Organ – 19 changed to 20 notes [GGGG–DD, but only CCC to CC (13 notes) have pipes]
16
   Open Diapason
13
        
               
Mechanicals
    Great & Swell coupler       Swell pedal  
    Great & Pedal coupler       Bellows Signal  
           
Henry Erben
New York City (1841)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 13 stops, 15 ranks


In 1841 Henry Erben rebuilt the 1824 Hall & Erben organ, enlarging it from one to two manuals. This organ had a 'G' compass from GGG to f3 without the low GGG#. The organ case was of pine trimmed with walnut and was painted white.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes [GGG–f3, no GGG#]
8
   Open Diapason
58
2
   Fifteenth
58
8
   Stop'd Diapason
58
  Sesquialtera, 3 ranks (bass)
63?
4
   Principal
58
  Cornet, 4 ranks (treble)
148?
3
   Twelfth
58
8
   Trumpet
58
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes [Swell: f–f3, enclosed; Choir: GGG–e (no GGG#), unenclosed]
8
   Dulciana
37
  Choir Bass
8
   Stop'd Diapason
37
8
   Stop'd Diapason
21
4
   Principal
37
4
   Principal
21
4
   Flute
37
   
8
   Hautboy
37
   
               
Mechanicals
    [Great & Swell coupler]       [Bellows Signal]  
    [Swell pedal]          
           
Hall & Erben
New York City (1824)
Mechanical action
1 manual


The original organ in the church had a single manual and was built in 1824 by Hall & Erben of New York City, one of nine known organs from the partnership of Thomas Hall and Henry Erben.

Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
             
Sources:
     Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks (Third Edition). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004.
     First Chinese Presbyterian Church web site: http://www.fcpc.org/
     Ogasapian, John. Organ Building in New York City: 1700-1900. Braintree: The Organ Literature Foundation, 1977.
     Organ Historical Society web site: http://www.organsociety.org
     Trupiano, Larry. Electronic correspondence (May 4, 2013) regarding Henry Erben organ as rebuilt by Geo. Jardine & Son, and Gilbert F. Adams.

Illustration:
     Herlick, George (July 15, 1936). Interior looking toward gallery. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.