First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)

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First Moravian Church

154 Lexington Avenue at 30th Street
New York, NY 10016

Organ Specifications:
154 Lexington Avenue (since 1869)
► II/17 Meloni & Farrier (2015); reb. of 1840 Erben
► II/18 Thomas H. Wood (1902); reb. of 1840 Erben
• II//21 Henry Erben (1840) – from Eglise du St. Esprit (1863)
Home in Twenty-ninth Street (1863-1866)
• unknown
Mott and Houston Streets (1845-1863) – Christ Church
• Hall & Erben (1835) – moved from old church
106 Fulton Street – known as Christ Church
Second building (1829-1845)
• Hall & Erben (September 1835)
• Hall & Erben (1835) – burned (August 1835)
• Henry Erben (1824) – moved from old church
First building (1752-1829)
• Henry Erben (1824)
• John Geib (1815)
• unknown (<1755) – sold for $100 to Moravian Church in Staten Island (1815)


First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)  
The New York congregation of the Unity of the Brethren Church was organized in 1748, and the first Moravian Church – known as Christ Church – was built at 106 Fulton Street in 1751-52. In 1829, a new building for Christ Church was constructed at the same location.

Today's First Moravian Church was established about 1849, and worshiped at the corner of Mott and Houston Streets until about 1866. After the Civil War, the congregation met for three years at a home on Twenty-ninth Street. In 1869, the church acquired the present building, a simple brick meeting house which was originally built ca.1849 as Rose Hill Baptist Church (later to become Madison Avenue Baptist Church). After the Baptists moved to Madison Avenue, the building was occupied by the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, during which time the Erben organ was installed.
           
  First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
  Keydesk by Meloni & Farrier
Meloni & Farrier
Port Chester, N.Y. (2015)
Mechanical key and stop action
2 manuals, 16 stops, 17 ranks


In 2008, Meloni & Farrier Organbuilders of Port Chester, N.Y., were contracted to restore the organ to as close as possible to the original 1840 Henry Erben design. The manual key frames and Swell bass chest were extended to GGG, not an easy task. The pipes contained in the organ are only about 70% original. The Great Trumpet was installed about 1970, and the Swell Oboe (Hautboy) dates from the 1920s. Missing pipes from the 1906 rebuild were fabricated in the Meloni & Farrier shop, using the existing pipes as a scale measurement. The restoration required that the organ be completely dismantled, except for the case and Pedal pipes. The windchests were stripped to their frames, flooded with glue sizing to seal leaks, and rebuilt. Many of the pipes were bent or broken, and required extensive repair and revoicing. All key action and stop action parts were either cleaned and restored, or replaced where none existed. The organ also received a new blower.

The restored organ was dedicated on Sunday, May 17, 2015, with Elaine Comparone, organist.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes (GGG, AAA-f)
8
  Open Diapason
58
4
   Octave
58
8
   Stop'd Diapason Treble (c29)
29
2 2/3
   Twelfth
58
8
   Stop'd Diap. Bass (GGG-B28)
28
2
   Fifteenth
58
8
   Dulciana (from c29)
29
8
   Trumpet (CC-f)
54
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 37 notes (from F22), enclosed
8
  Open Diapason
37
4
   Flute
37
8
  Viola
37
2
   Piccolo
37
8
  Stop'd Diapason
37
  Cornet II ranks
74
4
   Principal
37
8
   Hautboy
37
               
Choir Organ (Manual II) – 21 notes (GGG-E)
8
   Stop'd Diapason Bass
21
        
4
   Principal
21
        

             
Pedal Organ – 25 notes (CC-c)
16
  Open Diapason (wood)
25
        
               
Couplers
    Swell / Great          
    Swell / Pedal          
    Great / Pedal          
             
  Henry Erben Organ (1863) at First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
Thomas H. Wood
New York City (1902)
Mechanical key and stop action
2 manuals, 16 stops, 18 ranks


In 1902, Thomas H. Wood of New York City rebuilt the 1840 Erben organ. Wood reworked the instrument so that it would have a manual compass of CC to f' (54 notes), and a pedal compass of CCC to E (29 notes). Total cost of the rebuild was $600. In 1969, the organ was rebuilt by Samuel O. Donelson of New York City. Meloni & Farrier Organbuilders are currently restoring the organ to its original G-compass.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 54 notes
8
  Open Diapason
54
2
   Fifteenth
54
8
   Gamba
54
8
   Clarinette
54
8
   Stop'd Diapason
54
8
   Trumpet
54
4
  Octave
54
        
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 54 notes, enclosed
8
  Open Diapason
54
2
  Piccolo
54
8
  Dulciana
54

  Cornet 3 ranks
162
8
  Stop'd Diapason
54

8

   Oboe
54
4
   Principal
54
        
4
  Rohr Flöte
54
     Tremulant  

             
Pedal Organ – 29 notes
16
  Open Diapason
29
        
               
Couplers (On or Off pistons under Swell manual)
    Great to Pedal          
    Swell to Pedal          
    Swell to Great          
               
Henry Erben Organ (1863) at First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
   Henry Erben Organ (1863) at First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
     
Henry Erben Organ (1863) at First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
   Henry Erben Organ (1863) at First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
     
Henry Erben Organ (1863) at First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
  
Henry Erben Organ (1863) at First Moravian Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
             
Henry Erben
New York City (1840)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 21 stops


The organ in First Moravian Church dates to 1840, when it was built by Henry Erben for the French Episcopal Church du St. Esprit, located at Franklin and Church Streets. This new organ was installed in a new church building, and both were described in the July 6, 1840 issue of The New-York Spectator. A paragraph about the organ stated: "The case of the organ is entirely different from any yet constructed in this country. It is ornamented with carved columns, representing the palm trees at Athens, surmounted by a cornice enriched with carved water leaves and honey suckles, the whole bronzed and gilt in the highest style of elegance." The display pipes in the facade are of of large scale: there are three towers of five metal pipes each, and two flats containing small dummy pipes, of wood, shaped to look like diapasons. The 1840 organ originally had a G-compass: manuals were GGG to f' (58 notes), and the pedal compass was CCC to C (25 notes).

In 1863, the French church was sold at auction, and the Erben organ was bought by the Church of the Mediator, who had the organ moved and installed in the current building.

Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
             
Sources:
     Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     "Ehilse [sic] Du Saint Esprit," New-York Spectator (July 6, 1840). Courtesy Stephen Pinel and Anthony Meloni.
     Ogasapian, John. Organ Building in New York City: 1700-1900. Braintree: The Organ Literature Foundation, 1977.
     "Opening of the First Moravian Church," The New York Times (Apr. 19, 1869).
     Stocker, Harry Emilius. A History of The Moravian Church in New York City. Pub. by the author. New York City: 1922.
     Webber, F.R. "Organ Scrapbook" at Organ Historical Society Archives, Princeton, N.J.; 1863 Erben specification and information on previous organs; courtesy Jonathan Bowen.

Illustrations:
     Steven E. Lawson
     Meloni, Anthony. Keydesk of restored organ (2015).