Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Esperanzo - New York City
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Church of Our Lady of Esperanza
Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza
(Roman Catholic)

624 West 156th Street near Broadway
New York, N.Y. 10032




The Church of Our Lady of Esperanza stands on a knoll which was once known as Audubon Park and eventually became Spanish Hill. The church was founded by Señora Dona Manuela de Laverrerie de Barril, wife of the Spanish Consul-General in New York. One evening, Señora de Barril invited railroad magnate Archer Milton Huntington (1870-1955) and his wife Anna Hyatt Huntington to dinner to discuss the possibility of having another church for the Spanish speaking people in New York City. Huntington was the founder of the Hispanic Society of America on May 18, 1904. A few months later she had died never seeing her dreams fulfilled.

 
Original Church  
Construction for the church started in 1909 and was completed two years later. It was designed by Archer Huntington's cousin, Charles. Within the church's original design the parishioners entered the building through an Ionic portico which could be approached by a flight of stairs which ascended from east to west on 156th Street. The church has a lamp donated by King Alfonso XIII of Spain in honor of the opening and consecration of the church.

The first pastor was Father Adrian Buisson who had been Pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe located at 229 West 14th Street. He had remained at the new church for 40 years and retired in 1952 at the age of 90.

With the increasing amount of parishioners attending services it was decided to enlarge the size of the church by adding an extension to the recessed front of the building. This was done in 1924 and the remodeling was designed by Lawrence G. White, son of Stanford White, and a partner in the firm of McKim, Meade and White. The added vestibule accommodated a change of levels internally and brought the facade of the church to the lot line. A rectory was provided over the extension. This renovation reflected a crucial change in the architectural strategy put forth by Charles Huntington's original design of the church.

Even though Our Lady of Esperanza shares the same site as the Audubon Terrace Museum Complex, it is a separate entity unto itself. The Complex was designated a Historic District by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on January 9, 1979.
           
  Austin Organ, Op. 307 (1912) in the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Esperanzo - New York City (photo: Wurts Bros., ca.1926)
Austin Organ Company
Hartford, Conn. – Opus 307 (1912)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 25 registers, 10 stops, 10 ranks







Since its original 1912 installation in the rear gallery of the church, the Austin organ has been revised. Following is the specification as of 2008.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, partially enclosed with Swell
8
   Open Diapason
73
4
   Flute Harmonic
73
8
   Hohl Flöte
73
2 2/3
   Nazard
61
8
   Viola
73
2
   Wald Flöte
61
8
   Dulciana
73
1 1/3
   Larigot
—
4
   Octave
73
1
   Wald Flöte
—

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Hohl Flöte
GT
8
   Dulciana
GT
8
   Viola
GT
4
   Flute Harmonic
GT
8
   Voix Celeste (TC)
61
2
   Wald Flöte
GT
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
   Sub Bass
32
8
   Dulciana
GT
16
   Dulciana (ext. GT)
12
4
   Choral Basse
GT
8
   Open Diapason
GT
4
   Hohl Flöte
GT
8
   Hohl Flöte
GT
2
   Octavin
GT
8
   Viola
GT
        
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8'     Swell to Swell 16', Unison, 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'     Great to Great 16', Unison, 4'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'      
               
Pedal Movements
    Balanced Swell Pedal          
    Crescendo Pedal          
           
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.
     Dunlap, David W. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Gray, Christopher. "Streetscapes: Audubon Terrace; Attrition Taking Its Toll At a Cultural Complex," The New York Times (May 17, 1987).
     Ochse, Orpha. Austin Organs. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 2001.
     Mahanor, Tali. Specifications of Austin organ, Op. 307 (1912) as of 2008.
     Renner, James. "Our Lady of Esperanza," Harlem One-Stop.
     Shelley, Thomas J. The Bicentennial History of the Archdiocese of New York 1808-2008. Strasbourg: Éditions du Signe, 2007.

Illustrations:
     Shelley, Thomas J. The Bicentennial History of the Archdiocese of New York 1808-2008: original church; present exterior.
     Wurts Bros (New York, N.Y.). Photo (c.1926) of interior, showing Austin Organ, Op. 307 (1912).