St. Paul's Community Church - New York City
St. Paul's Community Church
(Non-denominational)

256 West 145th Street
New York, N.Y. 10039






St. Paul's Community Church was established in 1947, after controversy within the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Following the attempted removal of the Rev. Hale B. Thompson as pastor of the Bethel A.M.E. Church, a group formed St. Paul's Community Church and called Thompson to be their pastor. In 1952, St. Paul's purchased the former Odeon 145th Street Theatre, which had been built in 1910 as designed by Thomas W. Lamb.
               
M.P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – Opus R-549 (1955)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 47 stops, 33 ranks


The organ in St. Paul's Community Church was originally built by M.P. Möller as Op. 3963 (1924), a theater-style organ that had four manuals and 37 ranks, for the Mecca Temple (now the City Center 55th Street Theatre) at 130 West 55th Street. Möller rebuilt this organ in 1955, and provided several new ranks and a new three-manual drawknob console.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed with Choir
8
  Diapason (old Diapason II)
73
2
  Super Octave
61
8
  Concert Flute
CH
    Fourniture III ranks *
183
8
   Gamba
73
     Tremolo *  
4
  Octave *
73
    Great to Great 16'  
4
  Harmonic Flute [Con. Fl.]
CH
    Great Unison Off
2 2/3
   Twelfth [Con. Fl.]
CH
     Great to Great 4'  
               
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Bourdon
73
1 3/5
   Seventeenth [ext.]
—
8
  Diapason
73
  Plein Jeu IV ranks *
244
8
  Gedeckt
73
16
  Contra Fagotto [unit]
85
8
  Viole d'Orchestre
73
8
   Trompette *
73
8
  Salicional [unit]
85
8
  Oboe [ext.]
—
8
  Voix Celeste [TC]
61
8
  Vox Humana
61
4
   Principal *
73
     Tremolo *  
4
   Salicet [ext.]
—
     Swell to Swell 16'  
2 2/3
   Twelfth [ext.]
—
     Swell Unison Off  
2
   Fifteenth [ext.]
—
     Swell to Swell 4'  
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed with Great
8
   Diapason
73
     Cornet IV ranks
244
8
   Concert Flute [unit]
85
8
   Clarinet (revoiced)
61
8
   Gamba
GT
     Tremolo *  
8
   Dulciana
73
    
Chimes
20 tubes
8
   Unda Maris [TC]
61
    
Harp [TC]
49 bars
4
   Flauto Traverso [ext.]
—
    
Choir to Choir 16'
 
2 2/3
   Nazard [ext.]
—
    
Choir Unison Off
 
2
   Piccolo [ext.]
—
     Choir to Choir 4'  
1 3/5
   Tierce [ext.]
—
        
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
  Diapason [old Diapason II]
32
8
   Principal [Diapason]
GT
16
  Violone [ext. GT Diap.]
12
8
   Gamba
GT
16
   Subbass [old Tibia Clausa]
44
4
   Choralbass [Diapason]
GT
16
   Contra Gamba [ext. GT Gamb.]
12
16
   Contra Fagotto
SW
16
   Bourdon
SW
16
   Tuba (revoiced)
44
8
   Bass Flute [Subbass]
12
8
   Trumpet [Tuba]
—
               
           
* new by Möller in 1955
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8', 4'     Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'     Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'
    Choir to Pedal 8'     Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'
               
Adjustable Combinations
    Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 affecting Great stops
    Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Swell stops
    Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Choir stops
    Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Pedal stops
    Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Full Organ
               
Pedal Movements
    Great to Pedal Reversible [duplicated by manual piston]
    Swell to Pedal Reversible [duplicated by manual piston]
    Choir to Pedal Reversible [duplicated by manual piston]
    Balanced Expression Pedal – Great & Choir
    Balanced Expression Pedal – Swell
    Balanced Crescendo Pedal
    Sforzando Reversible [duplicated by manual piston]
               
Accessories
    Action current indicator light – white
    Expression indicator lights (one for each expression) – amber
    Crescendo indicator light – green
    Sforzando indicator light – red
               
Sources:
     Dunlap, David W. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Scofield, Jeff. Factory Specification of M.P. Möller Organ, Op. R-549 (1955).
               
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