The University Parish of St. Joseph - NYC
 

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The University Parish of St. Joseph
(Roman Catholic)

371 Avenue of the Americas at Washington Place
New York, N.Y. 10014
http://washingtonsquarecatholic.org/

Organ Specifications:
► III/39 Orgues Létourneau, Op. 128 (Dec. 2014)
► II/11 Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co., Op. 1225 (1952)
• II/20 Henry Erben (1836)
             
High Altar ca.1900 - The University Parish of St. Joseph - NYC (Photo: St. Joseph Church)  
High altar ca.1900  
High Altar in 1960 - The University Parish of St. Joseph - NYC (Photo: St. Joseph Church)  

High altar in 1960

  
   
The parish of St. Joseph's was established by Bishop John Dubois in 1829. At the time, the population of New York, numbering 203,000, was concentrated in the southern half of Manhattan. Parish boundaries were from Canal Street to 20th Street, and from Broadway to the Hudson River. St. Joseph's first congregants were predominantly Irish-Americans. The Greek Revival building was designed by John Doran and erected in 1833-34; it was second in size only to St. Patrick's (Old) Cathedral on Mott Street. Two fires, one in 1855 and the other in 1885, caused extensive damage to the interior. Following the 1885 fire, Arthur Crook executed renovations to the church. The stained glass windows in the south wall date from 1879. The parish supported St. Joseph's Half Orphan Asylum in a building which later became part of St. Vincent's Hospital. The Academia movement, led by the Rev. Thomas Farrell, first met at St. Joseph. Followers of the movement questioned the inerrancy of scripture, papal infallibility, priestly celibacy, vestments, the Latin liturgy, and the suitability of nuns to teach future wives and mothers. Father Farrell was also responsible by his bequest for the creation of New York's first church for black Catholics, St. Benedict the Moor.

  The University Parish of St. Joseph - NYC (Photo: John Rust)
 

Interior in 2005
In 1972, the interior was reconfigured to Vatican II ideals. At the same time, the fresco of the Transfiguration, after Raphael's original in the Vatican, was discovered hidden under layers of paint above the altar, and susequently restored. Further renovations to the interior took place in 1991.

In 2005, the parish was restructured as The University Parish of St. Joseph to serve the Catholic communities of New York University, Cooper Union, New School and Pace University.
           
  Orgues Létourneau organ, Op. 128 (2014) at The University Church of St. Joseph - New York City
  credit: Orgues Létourneau Ltée
Orgues Létourneau Ltée
St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada – Opus 128 (2014)
Mechanical key action
Electric stop action
3 manuals, 31 stops, 39 ranks, 2,056 pipes


The three-manual organ built by Orgues Létourneau Ltée of Canada was completed in early January 2015. It was formally dedicated and then heard in a concert played by Kyler Brown on April 10, 2015.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes
16
   Bourdon
58
4
   Open Flute
58
8
   Open Diapason [façade]
58
2
   Fifteenth
58
8
   Flûte harmonique
58
1 1/3
  Mixture IV ranks [12-15-19-22]
232
8
   Salicional
58
2 2/3
  Cornet III ranks [12-15-17]
174
8
   Chimney Flute
58
8
   Trumpet
58
4
   Principal
58
  Tremulant

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes, enclosed
8
   Geigen Diapason
58
1 1/3
   Larigot
58
8
   Gambe
58
2
   Plein jeu III-IV ranks [15-19-22]
215
8
   Voix Céleste [GG]
51
16
   Fagotto
58
8
   Bourdon
58
8
   Trumpet
58
4
   Principal
58
8
   Oboe
58
4
   Spire Flute
58
  Tremulant
2
   Flageolet
58
   
               
Solo Organ (Manual III) – 58 notes
8
   Festival Trumpet
58
        
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
   Resultant
—
8
   Bass Flute
32
16
   Open Diapason [façade]
32
4
   Choral Bass
32
16
   Subbass (wood)
32
16
   Trombone
32
16
   Bourdon
GT
16
   Fagotto
SW
8
   Principal [façade]
32
8
   Trumpet
32
           
Couplers
    Great to Pedal   Swell to Great
    Swell to Pedal   Solo to Great
    Solo to Pedal    
               
Adjustable Combinations & Piston Sequencer – 256 levels of memory
   
Great Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-0 (thumb)
Swell Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-0 (thumb)
Pedal Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-0 (thumb)
General Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 (thumb & toe)
Set thumb (with PIN-type memory lock)
General Cancel thumb
Sequencer Next (+) thumb (3) and toe (2)
Sequencer Previous (–) thumb (1) and toe (1)
               
Reversibles
    Great to Pedal (thumb & toe)   Swell to Great (thumb)
    Swell to Pedal (thumb & toe)   Solo to Great (thumb)
    Solo to Pedal (thumb & toe)   Tutti (thumb & toe)
               
Expression
    Balanced Swell Pedal [mechanical]      
    Register Crescendo [30 stages]      
           
  The University Parish of St. Joseph - NYC (Photo: John Rust)
Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company
Boston, Mass. – Opus 1225 (1952)
Rebuilt by Thomas Martin (1975)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 9 stops, 11 ranks






In 1952 the church commissioned a new organ to be built by the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company of Boston. At the time, preparations were made for the future addition of a Great Mixture and Swell Trumpet (with Pedal extension). Thomas Martin added these ranks in 1975 when he rebuilt the organ. All pipes of the organ are enclosed in one swell box behind a modified case which is presumed to be from the 1836 Henry Erben organ.

Prior to the installation of the Orgues Létourneau instrument in 2014, the Aeolian-Skinner organ was sold to Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia, where it will be used as a practice instrument.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Flute
68
    Mixture III ranks *
183
4
  Principal
68
       

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Viol
68
    Sesquialtera II ranks
122
4
  Flute
68
8
   Trumpet *
68
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
  Bourdon
32
       
16
  Bassoon [ext. SW Trumpet] *
12
       
           
* stops added in 1972
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8'   Great 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell 16', 4'
               
Combinations (blind, not moving stops)
   
Swell Organ & Couplers Pistons 1-2-3-0 (thumb)
Great Organ & Couplers Pistons 1-2-3-0 (thumb)
               
Pedal Movements
    Balanced Swell Pedal      
    Crescendo Pedal      
               
The University Parish of St. Joseph - NYC (Photo: John Rust)  

The University Parish of St. Joseph - NYC (Photo: John Rust)
           
Henry Erben
New York City (1836)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 20 stops



The 1861 American Musical Directory states that the organ in St. Joseph's Church had "2 banks keys, 20 stops, 1½ octaves pedals" and was built by H. Erben. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
             
Sources:
     American Musical Directory. New York: Thomas Hutchinson, 1861.
     Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2004.
     Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Forrest, Andrew. Specification of Orgues Létourneau Ltée organ, Op. 128 (2014).
     Kinzey, Allen and Sand Lawn, comps. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List. New Rev. Ed. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
     The University Parish of St. Joseph web site: http://washingtonsquarecatholic.org/

Illustrations:
     Orgues Létourneau Ltée web site: http://www.letourneauorgans.com. Case of Op. 128.
     Rust, John. Interior; Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 1225 (1952).
     The University Parish of St. Joseph web site. Old photos of church.