Lithuanian Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Vilnius - New York City
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Church of Our Lady of Vilnius
(Roman Catholic)

570 Broome Street at Varick Street
New York, N.Y. 10013
http://www.ourladyofvilnius.org


Organ Specifications:
► II/10 Aeolian Company – from unknown residence
► II/17 George W. Earle (1868) – inst. as Möller, Op. 1186 (c.1909)
               
Church of Our Lady of Vilnius (Lithuanian Roman Catholic) - New York City (photo: Raimundas Jonas)  
The Church of Our Lady of Vilnius was established in 1909 as a national parish church to serve Lithuanian Catholics in New York City. Harry G. Wiseman designed the yellow-brick church that was built in 1910. Located on Broome Street near Varick, the parish became a center fostering not only religious belief but also Lithuanian culture and national identity. People rallied around their church to maintain community bonds and remain close to their homeland. Our Lady of Vilnius was for many years home for a local chapter of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal order.

In the 1920s, construction of the nearby Hudson Tunnel and its access roads uprooted the community, and by the time the tunnel opened in November, 1927, many one-family homes belonging to Lithuanian parishioners had been destroyed. Over the years, however, the Lithuanians continued to return to the church for social activities and for Masses in their native language.

By the late 1990s, the church roof had become unstable and services were moved to the basement. Despite valiant efforts to repair and save the church, the Archdiocese closed the parish on February 27, 2007.
               
  Pipe facade of Aeolian Organ in Our Lady of Vilnius Catholic Church - New York City
Aeolian Company
New York City
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 22 stops, 10 ranks


The organ, which is not original to the church, was built by the Aeolian Company for an unknown residence. The organ originally had a duplexed chest for the majority of the pipework, and this was electrified by George DeLosh in 1972. The Great Melodia and Swell Violin Diapason are on a direct-electric chest. Following is the specification in 1973:
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Open Diapason
61
8
   Unda Maris
SW
8
   Melodia [unit]
85
8
   Stopped Diapason
SW
8
   Viol d'Orchestre
SW
4
   Flute Traverse
—
8
   Viol Celeste
SW
2 2/3
   Nasard
—
8
   Dulciana
SW
2
   Piccolo
—
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Violin Diapason [unit]
85
4
   Principal
—
8
   Salicional
61
2
   Fifteenth
—
8
   Vox Celeste
61
8
   Oboe
61
8
   Stopped Diapason
61
8
   Vox Humana
61
8
   Aeoline
61
     Tremolo  
8
   Aeoline Vibrato
61
     Harp  
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
   Bourdon [ext. GT]
12
        
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt [lo-pressure]
—
        
               
Couplers
    Swell to Pedal 8'   Great to Great 4'
    Great to Pedal 8'   Swell to Swell 16', 4'
    Swell to Great 8', 4'    
             
George W. Earle
Riverhead, N.Y. (1868) – moved by M.P. Möller as Opus 1186 (c.1909)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 16 stops, 17 ranks


The first organ for Our Lady of Vilnius Church was a second-hand instrument that was installed by M.P. Möller as Opus. 1186. It seems likely that this organ was the 1868 George W. Earle organ originally in the nearby Spring Street Presbyterian Church, where Möller had installed a new two-manual organ (Op. 1116) in 1909. The Earle organ had mechanical action that controlled two 56-note manuals and a pedal of 25 notes. Möller's handwritten (but undated) contract states that Möller would make any necessary repairs and erect the organ in the church for the sum of $600. The specifications with the contract show that the casing was painted cream white.

A later specification for this organ was recorded on August 22, 1912, by an employee of Louis F. Mohr & Co., a longtime organ service firm in the area. Mohr indicated that the organ was built by George W. Earle, gave the manual and pedal compasses and listed the number of pipes for each stop in the Swell and Pedal. Handwritten notes state that the organ had a detached console, a blower, and 873 pipes. Mohr's specification differs from that given earlier by Möller: the Swell Violin was at 4' (instead of 8') pitch, and there was a Mixture with 44 keys (88 pipes).
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 56 notes
8
   Open Diapason
56
4
   Harmonic Flute
56
8
   Melodia
56
4
   Principal
56
8
   Gamba
56
2 2/3
   Twelfth
56
8
   Dopple Flute
56
2
   Fifteenth
56
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 56 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon Treble
44
8
   Violin [later changed to 4']
56
16
   Bourdon Bass
12
8
   Stopped Diapason
56
8
   Open Diapason [TC]
44
     Mixture 2 ranks [TC] [addition]
88
8
   Dolce
56
8
   Hautboy [TC]
44

     

     
Pedal Organ – 25 notes
16
   Double Open
25
        
               
Couplers & Accessories
    Swell to Pedal   Tremolo
    Great to Pedal   Balanced Swell Pedal
    Swell to Great    
               
Sources:
     Adamkus, Valdas (President of the Republic of Lithuania). Letter to Cardinal Egan (Jan. 26, 2007).
     Anderson, Lincoln. "‘Pretzels’ and ‘Provolone’ may lose their church,"Downtown Express (Aug. 25-31, 2006).
     Dunlap, David W. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Kloda, Barry. Shop notes on the Aeolian organ.
     Mohr, Louis F. & Co. Specifications (Aug. 22, 1912) of George W. Earle organ (1868). Courtesy Larry Trupiano.
     Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
     Our Lady of Vilnius Church web site: http://www.ourladyofvilnius.org
     Trupiano, Larry. Contract and Specification for M.P. Möller organ, Op. 1186 (c.1909).
     Trupiano, Larry. Specifications of Aeolian Organ as of 1973.

Illustrations:
     Lithuanian Global Genealogical Society: www.lithuaniangenealogy.org. Exterior; organ facade.
     Jonas, Raimundas. Interior.