St. Ann Armenian Rite Cathedral and Shrine - New York CIty

 

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St. Ann Armenian Rite Cathedral
(Eastern Catholic)

110 East 12th Street
New York, N.Y. 10003


Organ Specifications:
110 East 12th Street, between 3rd & 4th Aves. (1871-2003)
► III/45 Henry Erben (1858); reb. Laws
► III/43 Henry Erben (1858)
8th Street, between Broadway & Fourth Avenue (1852-1871)
• II/28 Henry Erben (1853)





The parish of St. Ann was organized in 1852 by Bishop Hughes, who appointed Rev. John Murray Forbes to be its first pastor. Father Forbes purchased the former Third Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church on East 8th Street, between Broadway and Fourth Avenue. The impressive Georgian-style building had been constructed in 1811-12 on Murray Street, but when real estate grew more valuable, the Presbyterians sold the site and moved the building to 8th Street at the head of Lafayette Place in 1842. After St. Ann's congregation vacated the edifice in 1871, the building was used as an upholstery factory and, starting in 1879, a succession of theatres until it was razed in 1904 for construction of the subway.

St. Ann Armenian Rite Cathedral and Shrine - New York CIty  
Sometime around 1870, St. Ann's purchased the former Temple Emanu-El on East 12th Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues, which had been built ca.1847 as the Twelfth Street Baptist Church. Before the Catholic congregation moved in, architect Napoleon Le Brun created a new church in the 13th century French Gothic style, retaining only the original façade. The new church was dedicated in 1871. Stained glass windows were added in the 1920s.

In 1983, the church was established as St. Ann's Armenian Rite Catholic Cathedral, an Eastern Catholic church that remains in communion with Rome, and was one of three in Manhattan which offered traditional masses in Latin. In 2003, the Archdiocese of New York announced that the church would be closed. Despite objections by parishioners and preservationists, the church was closed in 2004 and demolished in 2005. The property was sold to NYU and a dormitory now occupies the site.
           
 

Henry Erben Organ (1864) - St. Ann Armenian Rite Cathedral and Shrine - New York City

Henry Erben
New York City (1858)
Rebuilt and electrified by William Laws?
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 43 stops, 45 ranks




The organ was originally built by Henry Erben in 1858. At an unknown time, the organ was electrified by Williams Laws, who installed an Austin-style three-manual stoptab console. Laws noted that the organ was 3-39 with 1422 pipes. Prior to demolition of the church, the organ was removed in early 2005 by the Archidocese and is in storage. The following specification was copied from the console.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes
16
   Open Diapason
4
   Night Horn
8
   Open Diapason
2 2/3
   Nazard
8
   Wald Flute
2
   Flageolet
8
   Stopped Flute
8
   Trumpet
8
   Gamba
4
   Clarion
4
   Gemshorn
  Chimes
4
   Octave
     

             
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 58 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon
16
   Fagotto
8
   Open Diapason
8
   Cornopean
8
   Gedeckt
8
   Oboe
8
   Salicional
8
   Vox Humana
4
   Violina
  Tremulant
2
   Piccolo
  Chimes
    Cornet Dolce III ranks
     
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes
8
   Pyramid Diapason
4
   Flute d'Amour
8
   Keraulophon
2
   Flautino
8
   Clarabella
8
   Orchestral Oboe
8
   Melodia
8
   Clarinet Horn
8
   Dulciana
  Chimes
               
Echo Organ (Floating) – 58 notes (console preparation only)
8
   Gedeckt
4
   Harmonic Flute
8
   Salicional
8
   Vox Humana
8
   Voix Celeste
  Tremulant
     
     
Pedal Organ – 30 notes
16
   Open Diapason
8
   Octave
16
   Bourdon
8
   Violoncello
16
   Contra Gamba
16
   Trombone
           
Henry Erben
New York City (1858)
Mechanical action
3 manuals, 37 stops, 43 ranks


Henry Erben built an organ in 1858 for Temple Emanu-El, which owned the building from 1854-1868. The following specification was recorded by concert organist Lynnwood Farnam (1885-1930) in one of his organ notebooks.
               
Great Organ – 58 notes
16
   Grand Double Open Diap.
58
4
   Night Horn
58
8
   Open Diapason
58
2
   Flageolet
58
8
   Gamba
58
     Mixture (3 ranks?)
174
8
   Stopped Diapason
58
     Cornet (3 ranks?)
174
8
   Wald Flute
58
8
   Trumpet
58
4
   Principal
58
4
   Clarion
58

             
Swell Organ – 58 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon [bass and treble]
58
2
   Piccolo
58
8
   Open Diapason
58
     Cornet (3 ranks?)
174
8
   Stopped Diapason
58
8
   Horn
58
8
   Viol d'Amour
58
8
   Hautboy
58
4
   Principal
58
8
   Vox Humana
58
               
Choir Organ – 58 notes
8
   Keraulophon *
46
4
   Gemshorn
58
8
   Dulciana (grooved)
58
4
   Flute d'Amour
58
8
   Clarabella
58
2
   Flautina
58
8
   Stopped Diapason
58
8
   Cremona
58
4
   Principal
58
    
* bass from Dulciana
               
Pedal Organ – 30 notes?
16
   Double Open Diapason
30?
8
   Octave
30?
16
   Contra Gamba
30?
8
   Violoncello
30?
16
   Bourdon
30?
16
   Trombone
30?
               
Couplers
    Great and Swell       Pedal and Great  
    Choir and Swell       Pedal and Swell  
    Great and Choir       Pedal and Choir  
               
Accessories (on left)
    Swell Vox Tremulant       Piano  
    Bellows       Forte  
           
Organ in church located on 8th Street:

Henry Erben
New York City (1853)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 28 stops


According to the 1861 American Musical Directory, the organ in the church on 8th Street had "2 banks keys, 28 stops, 1½ octaves pedals." Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
           
Sources:
     American Musical Directory. New York: Thomas Hutchinson, 1861.
     The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X, Vol. III. New York: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914.
     Dunlap, David W. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Farnam, Lynnwood. "Organ Notebook," p.1704. Specification of Henry Erben organ). John de Lancie Library, The Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia. Courtesy Sally Branca, Archivist, and Jonathan Bowen.

Illustrations:
     Lawson, Steven E. Exterior; interior.