William Belden Residence
810 Fifth Avenue at 62nd Street
New York, N.Y. 10021


William Belden, a millionaire banker and broker, is perhaps best remembered in New York City history as one in a trio of investors – the others being Jay Gould and Jim Fisk – who artificially inflated the price of gold to the point where the stock market crashed on "Black Friday," September 24, 1869, causing thousands to lose their life savings. After years of prosecution and bad business deals, Belden was was ultimately forced into bankruptcy by the late 1880s.
           
J.H. & C.S. Odell & Company
New York City – Opus 190 (1881)
Mechanical key action
Pneumatic stop action
3 manuals, 40 stops, 41 ranks


In 1881, William Belden signed a contract with J.H. & C.S. Odell & Company for a three-manual organ for his Fifth Avenue residence. The original cost was $12,470. Just two years earlier, in 1879, Belden had the Odells build a three-manual organ for his residence on City Island in The Bronx, Odell's Op. 172.

The Fifth Avenue mansion organ was sold to the Troy (N.Y.) Savings Bank in 1889, where it is extant in the building now known as the Troy Music Hall.

See also William Belden Residence on City Island (Bronx).
               
Solo Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
8
   Tromba [6" w.p.] *
61
2
   Octave Flute
61
8
   Horn Diapason
61
8
   Clarionet
61
8
   Keraulophon
61
4
   Krumm Horn
61
8
   Melodia
61
    
Bells
32 notes
8
   Dulciana
61
      
4
   Orchestral Flute
61
    
* enclosed, on separate chest
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
   Double Open Diapason
61
4
  Horn Diapason
61
8
   Horn Diapason
61
4
  Concert Flute
61
8
   String Diapason
61
2 2/3
  Flageolet
61
8
   Viola
61
2
   Piccolo
61
8
   Gemshorn
61
8
  Trumpet [harmonic treble]
61
8
   Clarionet Flute
61
4
   Clarion
61
       
 
     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon
61
4
  Violina
61
8
   Horn Diapason
61
4
   Violin Tremolo [MC] **
37
8
   Violin Diapason
61
2
   Flautino
61
8
   Salicional
61
  Mixture III ranks
183
8
   Vox Celeste [TC]
49
8
  Cornopean [harmonic treble]
61
8
   Gedackt
61
8
   Oboe
61
4
   Forest Flute
61
    
** a celeste from middle C up
       
 
     
Pedal Organ – 27 notes
16
   Double Open Diapason
27
8
  Flute
27
16
   Bourdon
27
16
   Trombone
27
16
   Gamba
27
       
               
Accessories
    Great to Pedal   Solo to Great
    Swell to Pedal   Swell Tremolo
    Solo to Pedal   Bellow Signal
    Swell to Great    
           
Sources:
     J.H. & C.S. Odell Organs Opus List, compiled by Sand Lawn. Courtesy of David Scribner.
     J.H. & C.S. Odell Organs web site: www.odellorgans.com
     Pinel, Stephen L. "Organs of the OHS Fiftieth Anniversary: Troy Savings Bank Music Hall," The American Organist (Feb. 2006).