St. Mark's United Methodist Church


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St. Mark's United Methodist Church

55 Edgecombe Avenue at West 137th Street
New York, N.Y. 10030
http://stmarksharlemumc.org

Organ Specifications:
55 Edgecombe Avenue (since 1926)
► IV/57 Casavant Frères, Op. 1159 (1925); alt. (1974-75)
231 West 53rd Street (1895-1926)
► II/22 George Jardine & Son (c.1870)
139 West 48th Street (1889-1895)
• unknown
65 West 35th Street (1873-1889)
• unknown

Born out of a dispute between a Pastor and a Bishop, St. Mark's Methodist Episcopal Church was founded after splitting from Mother A.M.E. Zion Church, and was organized in June 1871 by the Reverend William F. Butler. The society's first location was Washington Hall on Broadway, between 37th and 38th Streets. In 1873, the congregation moved to 65 West 35th Street, purchasing the former Church of the Resurrection for $50,000. They would remain at this location for sixteen years.

In 1889, the congregation moved to the former All Souls Church at 139 West 48th Street. New growth in the membership caused the congregation to move in 1895 to the former St. John's Methodist Church at 231 West 53rd Street. During this time St. Mark's organized new churches in other parts of the city, including Salem Methodist Episcopal Church and Brooks Memorial M.E. Church. By the 1910s, the African-American community had begun to move from midtown to Harlem, and St. Mark's made plans to follow its members. During the pastorate of Dr. Brooks from 1897-1923, real estate properties were acquired and subsequently sold with the proceeds going toward the $43,000 cost of the current site.

The present church facilities are located on a "island" plot that is bounded by Edgecombe and St. Nicholas Avenues, and 137th and 138th Streets. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on October 22, 1922, for a Gothic-style building designed by Sibley & Fetherston of New York City. With its stone facing and massive square central tower, the edifice harmonizes with the Collegiate Gothic buildings of the City College campus, located up the hill across St. Nicholas Avenue. St. Mark's building includes a large sanctuary that is very wide with a large curved gallery, and an attached community house. The cornerstone was laid on September 9, 1924, and the completed church was dedicated on December 5, 1926.

Casavant Frères, Limitée
St. Hyacinthe, Canada – Opus 1159 (1925); alt. (1974-75)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals, 55 stops, 57 ranks

The organ in St. Mark's Church was built in 1925 by Casavant Frères of St. Hyacinthne, Québec, Canada, and originally had 55 stops and 55 ranks. Casavant installed the organ in two widely separated chambers located at the front corners of the sanctuary; each has two pipe façades that mask tone openings into the gallery and toward the choir loft. In the left chamber are the Swell, Choir and Solo divisions; and in the right chamber are the Great and Pedal divisions. The four-manual drawknob console has a pneumatic combination action, and is located in front of and slightly under the pulpit platform; wide steel plates on either side of the pedalboard floor indicate that the console may be rolled forward for maintenance.

Tonal changes were made by Casavant in 1974 when several new ranks were added. In the Great, the 8' 2nd Open Diapason and 8' Dolce were replaced by an 8' Rohrflöte and a 2-2/3' Nazard, and the 2' Super Octave and Mixture V were replaced with new ranks of the same names. In the Swell, a new Sesquialtera II (TC) replaced the 16' Bourdon. Also listed with this contract is an 8' Pédale Principal, but it was marked through and not installed. Additional changes were made by Casavant in 1975, when the 8' Aeoline and Cornet V on the Swell were replaced by a 1' Flûte à bec (engraved Sifflöte) and a Scharf V. At the same time, a new 4' Choralbass (with a knob incorrectly engraved Choralbass IV) replaced the Pedal 16' Gedeckt which was duplexed from the former Swell 16' Bourdon. Upon completion of these revisions, the organ had a total of 55 stops and 57 ranks.

A site visit in 2012 found the 87-year-old organ to be in generally poor condition yet somewhat playable. Hopefully, this historic and noble-sounding Casavant organ may someday be rebuilt.

Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes

Original 1925 Stops

Stops with 1974 & 1975 Alterations

Double Open Diapason *

1st Open Diapason

2nd Open Diapason

Hohlflöte

Rohrflöte †

Dolce

Octave

Harmonic Flute

2 2/3

Nazard †

Super Octave

Super Octave †

Mixture V ranks

365

1 1/3

Mixture V ranks †

305

Trumpet

Clarion

Chimes

Celesta

* 1-12 from Pedal

Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed

Original 1925 Stops

Stops with 1974 & 1975 Alterations

Bourdon

Open Diapason

Clarabella

Stopped Diapason

Viola da Gamba

Voix Céleste

Principal

Aeoline

Flauto Traverso

Principal

Piccolo

Flauto Traverso

Sifflöte (Flûte à bec) †

Piccolo

2 2/3

Sesquialtera II ranks [TC] †

Cornet V ranks

365

2 2/3

Scharf V ranks †

305

Contra Posaune

Cornopean

Oboe

Vox Humana

Clarion

Tremulant

Chimes

Celesta

Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed with Solo

Contra Gamba

Contra Fagotto

Open Diapason

Clarinet

Concert Flute

Tremulant

Dulciana

Celesta

61 bars

Flute d'Amour

Celesta Sub (Harp)

—

Flageolet

Chimes

Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed with Choir

Stentorphone

Tuba Mirabilis [15" w.p.]

Grossflöte

Orchestral Oboe

Gamba

Tremulant

Viole d'Orchestre

Chimes

25 tubes

Viole Céleste

Celesta

Concert Flute

Pedal Organ – 32 notes

Original 1925 Stops

Stops with 1974 & 1975 Alterations

Double Open Diapason +

—

Double Open Diapason +

—

Open Diapason

Violone

Bourdon

Gedeckt

Flute [ext. Open Diap.]

—

Flute [ext. Open Diap.]

—

Diapason [not installed]

Bourdon [ext.]

—

Bourdon [ext.]

—

Violoncello [ext.]

—

Violoncello [ext.]

—

Choralbass †

Trombone [unit]

Posaune

Trumpet [ext.]

—

Trumpet [ext.]

—

Clarion [ext.]

—

Clarion [ext.]

—

Chimes

† new in 1974 or 1975

+ acoustic bass

Couplers

Great to Pedal 8'

Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'

Swell to Pedal 8', 4'

Solo to Choir 16', 8', 4'

Choir to Pedal 8'

Great to Solo 8'

Solo to Pedal 8, 4'

Swell to Solo 8'

Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'

Great 16', 4', Unison Off

Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'

Swell 16', 4', Unison Off

Solo to Great 16', 8', 4'

Choir 16', 4', Unison Off

Solo to Swell 8'

Solo 16', 4', Unison Off

Combination Couplers (by knobs at bottom of left jamb)

Pedal Pistons to Great

Pedal Pistons to Choir

Pedal Pistons to Swell

Pedal Pistons to Solo

Adjustable Combination Pistons

Solo Organ	Pistons 1-2-3 (thumb)
Swell Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Great Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (thumb)
Choir Organ	Pistons 1-2-3 (thumb)
Pedal Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb)
Entire Organ	Pistons 1-2-3-4 (foot)
	Great Reeds On and Off

Reversible Pistons

Solo to Pedal

Swell to Great

Swell to Pedal

Choir to Great

Great to Pedal

Solo to Great

Great to Pedal (foot)

Swell to Choir

Choir to Pedal

Full Organ (foot)

Balanced Pedals

Balanced Pedal to Swell

Balanced Pedal to Choir

Balanced Pedal to Solo

Crescendo Pedal

Indicators

Crescendo

Wind

Full Organ

Organ in church at 231 West 53rd Street: George Jardine & Son New York City (c.1870) Mechanical action 2 manuals, 20 stops, 22 ranks The George Jardine & Son organ built for St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church probably dates from the opening of their building in 1870. In 1895, the building and organ were sold to St. Mark's Methodist Episcopal Church, which remained at this location until 1926. The specification below is from the files of Louis F. Mohr & Co., a local organ service firm, who noted that in 1913 the Swell Nachthorn had been replaced by an Aeoline.

Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
8	Open Diapason	61	2 2/3	Twelfth	61
8	Salicional	61	2	Flageolet	61
8	Melodia	61	8	Trumpet	61
4	Principal	61	4	Clarion	61
4	Wald Flute	61

Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
16	Bourdon	61	4	Night Horn *	61
8	Open Diapason	61		Cornet, 3 ranks	183
8	Stopped Diapason	61	8	Hautboy	61
8	Dulciana	61		Tremolo
4	Violina	61		* changed to 8' Aeoline in 1913

Pedal Organ – 29 notes
16	Open Diapason	29	8	Violoncello	29
16	Bourdon	29

Couplers
	Great to Pedal			Swell to Great
	Swell to Pedal

Accessories
	Swell Pedal [hook-down]
	Electric Motor, also pumped by foot on left hand

Sources:
     Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
     St. Mark's United Methodist Church web site: http://stmarksharlemumc.org
     Scheer, Stanley. Factory Specification (Dec. 30, 1925) of Casavant Frères organ, Op. 1159 (1925). Contracts (June 27, 1974 and Mar. 11, 1975) for additions & changes.
     Mohr, Louis F. & Co. Specifications of George Jardine & Son organ (c.1870; rev. 1913). Courtesy Larry Trupiano.

Illustrations:
     Lawson, Steven E. Exterior; Interior, Casavant Frères organ, Op. 1159.

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