Postcard (c.1921) of Dr. Charles V. Paterno Residence - New York City
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Dr. Charles V. Paterno Residence

182 Northern (now Cabrini) Avenue at 182nd Street
New York, N.Y. 10033


Organ Specifications:
► III/50 Aeolian Company, Op. 1174 (1910, 1913)
• Unknown builder (c.1908)



Dr. Charles V. Paterno  
   
Dr. Charles V. Paterno (1877-1946) was the person most responsible for the residential development of the area of Fort Washington along the Hudson River. The Paterno family arrived in New York from southern Italy and became involved in apartment house construction. Paterno trained as a medical doctor, but after his father's death in 1899, became an active builder throughout Manhattan. In 1905, he purchased land along the Hudson River, south of 187th Street, and constructed a grand marble mansion known as "Paterno's Castle." Paterno acquired additional land in the 1920s, on which he erected the picturesque English Tudor style Hudson View Gardens complex in 1923-24, one of New York City's earliest middle-class cooperatives. In 1938-39, after moving to Connecticut, Paterno replaced the castle with the Castle Village apartment complex. This series of five buildings was the first in America to employ the progressive European idea of setting tall residential towers in a park-like setting.
           
Undated Postcard of Dr. Charles V. Paterno Residence - New York City   Undated Postcard of Dr. Charles V. Paterno Residence - New York City
         
  Aeolian Company organ, Op. 1174 (1910, 1913) in Dr. Charles V. Paterno Residence - New York City
Aeolian Company
New York City – Opus 1174 (1910, 1913)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 60 registers, 44 stops, 50 ranks




In 1910, the Aeolian Company was contracted (Dec. 29, 1910) to build an organ in Castle Paterno that would have three manuals and 37 ranks at a cost of $22,600. Aeolian incorporated nine stops plus the Harp and Chimes from an unidentified existing organ in the residence. Installation of the organ was in two stages, perhaps to accomodate construction of the house. The first stage (Manuals I & III, the Pedal Flute, Harp & Chimes, and a three-manual console) was to be completed on or about September 18, 1911, at a cost of $10,750. In the subsequent contract (Sept. 20, 1913), Aeolian agrees to complete the organ (Swell organ, three additional stops in the Pedal, and the Echo organ, including an extra motor) for the balance of $11,850. The pipes of the Great, Swell and Pedal were located in a chamber on the top floor, while the Echo division was in the basement and spoke through a tone chute into the main hall. The regular console and Combination Duo-Art & 116-note player were located on the third floor.

Aeolian was contracted (June 24, 1927) to add an eight-rank Solo organ and a five-rank Vox Humana Choir organ, along with new consoles (three-manual regular plus a Duo-Art) to control the enlarged organ that now had a total of 50 ranks.

When Castle Paterno was slated to be demolished, the organ was purchased by Henry J.Q. Bucknall of Leadhead, N.Y., who presented the organ to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Glen Cove, N.Y., as a memorial to his wife, Clara Legg Bucknall. The Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co. was contracted (Aug. 11, 1938) to remove the organ to storage in the church crypt for a consideration of $1,700, and agreed to install the organ (as Op. 1174A) in the completed church within one year for approximately $2,000.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, expressive (4" pressure, "Loud")
8
   Diapason FF
73
8
   *Flute P
73
8
   *Diapason
73
8
   Flute P Vibrato (TC)
61
8
   *String F
73
8
   Flute Quintadena
73
8
   *String P
73
4
   *Flute (high)
73
8
   *String PP
73
8
   *Clarinet
73
8
   *Flute F
73
8
   *Trumpet
73

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, expressive (5" pressure, "Medium")
16
   Flute [unit]
97
8
   Flute
—
8
   Diapason MF
73
4
   Flute
—
8
   String F
73
2
   Flautino
—
8
   String F Vibrato
73
  String P Mixture (5 ranks)
275
8
   String MF
73
8
   Trumpet P (4" w.p.)
73
8
   String P
73
8
   Oboe
73
8
   String P Vibrato (TC)
61
8
   Vox Humana
73
8
   String PP
73
   
               
Choir Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes ("Derived from Great upon Aeolian Compound Windchest System")
8
   Diapason
GT
8
   Flute P Vibrato
GT
8
   String F
GT
8
   Flute Quintadena
GT
8
   String P
GT
4
   Flute (high)
GT
8
   String PP
GT
8
   Clarinet
GT
8
   Flute F
GT
8
   Trumpet
GT
8
   Flute P
GT
   
               
Echo Organ (Playable from Swell, Great & Choir) – 61 notes, expressive (4" w.p., "Medium soft")
8
   Diapason
73
8
   Flute P
73
8
   String P
73
8
   Oboe
73
8
   String P Vibrato (TC)
61
8
   Vox Humana
73
               
Solo Organ (Playable from Great & Choir Keyboards) – 61 notes, expressive
8
   Diapason
73
8
   English Horn
73
8
   String F Vibrato (2 ranks)
146
8
   Clarinet
73
8
   Flute
73
8
   Tuba
73
8
   French Horn
73
  Tremolo
               
Vox Humana Choir Organ (Playable from Swell Keyboard) – 61 notes, expressive
8 & 4
   Soprano Vox Humana (2 rks)
146
  Tremolo  
8
   Alto Vox Humana
73
  Vox Humana Choir On [Tablet]
8
   Tenor Vox Humana
73
  Upper and Lower Holes [Tablet]
16
   Bass Vox Humana
73
     
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes (4" pressure)
16
   Diapason
32
16
   Flute P
SW
16
   Violone
32
8
   Flute (fr. 16')
—
16
   Flute F
44
   
               
Percussion Instruments
8
  
*Harp
61 Tones
)
Playable from Great, Swell & Choir
4
  
Celesta
61 Tones
)
8
  
*Chimes
20 Tones
)
           
* reused from previous organ
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Great 16', Unison Off, 4'
    Choir to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell 16', Unison Off, 4'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Choir 16', Unison Off, 4'
    Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'   Echo 16', 4'
               
Combination Pistons (Adjustable)
   
Great Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4 ) Double touch. Second touch draws on Pedal combination of same piston number.
Swell Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 )
Choir Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4 )
Solo Organ Pistons 1-2-3    
Pedal Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4    
Full Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4    
  All Off   ("Taking off all stops, couplers, etc., and releasing Sforzando and closing Crescendo Pedal")
               
Accessories
    Sforzando Pedal (piston & plunger; ind.)   Great to Pedal 8' (piston & plunger)
    Crescendo Pedal - with indicator   Swell to Pedal 8' (piston & plunger)
    Great & Choir Expression Pedal   Choir to Pedal 8' (piston & plunger)
    Swell & Vox Expression Pedal   Great & Choir Tremolo
    Echo & Solo Expression Pedal   Swell Tremolo
    Harp F and P control with dampers   Echo Tremolo
    Chimes F and P control    
               
The Duo-Art and Solo Music Roll Player
(With stop and coupler tablets, expression pedals, etc.)
   
Tempo )    
Reroll ) Duo-Art and Solo Music  
Ventil )  
       
Normal )    
Reverse ) Solo Music    
Unison )    
         
Unknown Builder
(c.1908)


The contract (Dec. 29, 1910) for the Aeolian Company organ (1910, Op. 1174) shows that nine ranks from the "old" organ were to be reused in the new organ, and that the owner was responsible for removing the old organ from the chamber. Newspaper accounts state that this organ was connected to a clock and was played automatically. No further information is given. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located..
           
Sources:
     "Dr. Paterno Dead; Realty Leader, 69,"The New York Times (May 31, 1946).
     "Glen Cove Church to Get Paterno Castle's Organ," The New York Times (Aug. 18, 1938).
     "Mrs. Charles V. Paterno," (Obituary) The New York Times (Mar. 25, 1943).
     My Inwood website: http://myinwood.net/paternos-castle/
     "Mrs. Charles V. Paterno," (Obituary) The New York Times (Mar. 25, 1943).
     "Riverside Castle to be Unique Among City's Residences," The New York Times (June 7, 1908).
     Smith, Rollin. The Aeolian Pipe Organ and its Music. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1998.
     Trupiano, Larry. Aeolian-Skinner correspondence (Aug. 11, 1938) regarding removal of Aeolian organ to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Glen Cove, N.Y.
     Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specification (Dec. 29, 1910) of Aeolian Company organ, Op. 1174 (1910).

Illustrations:
     Lewis, James. Interior showing Aeolian Company organ, Op. 1174 (1910, 1913).
     My Inwood website. Portrait of Dr. Charles V. Paterno.
     Public Domain. Postcard (c.1921) of Castle Paterno.