Trinity Baptist Church

260 East 61st Street
New York, N.Y. 10021
http://www.trinityny.org


Organ Specifications:
250 East 61st Street (since 1931)
► IV/70 Allen Organ Company electronic
► III/22 Midmer-Losh Organ Co. (1930)
141 East 55th Street (1899-1931)
• unknown
138 East 27th Street (1893-1899)
• II/ W.W. Kimball Co. (c.1894)


Captain R. E. Jeanson of Gothenberg converted to the Baptist faith and settled in New York in 1865. Under his leadership, fifteen men and nineteen women met to found the "First Swedish Baptist Church of New York" on Sunday, December 22, 1867. Initially worshipping at the Mariners' Temple Baptist Church near the docks in lower Manhattan, the congregation moved uptown to the Colgate Chapel on 20th Street in 1884. Then, as the congregation grew and prospered, it bought its own building at 138 East 27th Street in 1893.

Although its beginnings were humble, by the turn of the century the church spawned three daughter congregations in Brooklyn, New Jersey, and the Bronx. In 1899, it purchased a larger church, the former Trinity Baptist Church, at 141 East 55th Street, from which it ministered to the growing influx of Swedish immigrants. Recalling its origins, the church sent missionaries to the docks to draw new arrivals into the church and provide them a spiritual home.

Trinity Baptist Church - New York City  
In 1929, a building boom accompanied by rising property values enabled the congregation to sell its worn-out building to developers. With the proceeds, they purchased land on 61st Street, and decided to build a new, first-class building. Martin Gravely Hedmark, architect, designed a beautiful and richly symbolic church home that was dedicated on January 21, 1931. One of the grand architectural masterpieces of New York City, Trinity Baptist Church embodies treasures of scriptural symbolism in a structure of inspired creativity. The Church's Swedish roots are expressed by its massive black granite cornerstones and the soaring heights of its Baltic Gothic facade—capped by two replicas of Nordic bell towers.

Trinity Baptist Church - New York City  
The building's modern steel construction expands the quintessential square American Baptist worship space to a suitable urban scale. No one enters the interior without being impressed by the remarkable artistry of the frescoes, stained glass, Orrefors crystal, carved and inlaid wood, hammered black iron, fine metalwork, and numerous other details. The acoustics in this remarkable building provide an atmosphere for the congregation in which singing is a delight.

Major services were conducted in Swedish, but as time went by, the need for a Swedish language church decreased. Swedish immigration slowed, many Swedes migrated westward, and descendents of the original settlers learned English as their native tongue. Thus, in 1942 the worship language of the church was changed from Swedish to English, and the official church name was changed to Trinity Baptist Church.
         
  Allen Organ at Trinity Baptist Church - New York City (Allen Organ Studios)
Allen Organ Company
Macungie, Penn.
Electronic tonal production (Renaissance Model)
4 manuals, 70 stops



The speakers of this Allen electronic organ were housed in the original pipe chambers, behind the twin facades on either side of the chancel. Speakers for the Antiphonal organ of the Swell and the Solo divisions were located above the rear balcony.

After the congregation abandoned traditional music with organ, the Allen organ was sold in 2011 to Redeemer Presbyterian Church, which meets in the auditorium of Hunter College.
           
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
   Double Diapason     Second Voices
8
   1st Diapason
16
   Quintaton
8
   2nd Diapason
8
   Prinzipal
8
   Harmonic Flute
8
   Bourdon
8
   Gamba
8
   Metalgedackt
4
   Octave
4
   Oktav
4
   Flute     Sesquialtera II ranks
2 2/3
   Twelfth      
2
   Fifteenth      
    Mixture IV ranks      
16
   Double Trumpet      
8
   Tromba      
    Tremulant      

         
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, expressive
16
   Rohr Bourdon     Second Voices
8
   Viola Pomposa
8
   Geigen Diapason
8
   Viola Celeste - sharp
8
   Salicional
8
   Viola Celeste - flat
8
   Voix Celeste
4
   Flute Celeste II ranks
8
   Erzähler Celeste
4
   Octave Geigen     Mixtur IV ranks
4
   Traverse Flute
8
   Hautbois
2 2/3
   Nasard
8
   Voix Humaine
2
   Piccolo      
1 3/5
   Tierce      
    Fourniture IV ranks      
16
   Waldhorn      
8
   French Trumpet      
8
   Oboe      
8
   Vox Humana      
4
   Clarion      
    Tremulant      
           
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, expressive
8
   Erzähler     Second Voices
8
   Holzgedackt     Harpsichord
8
   Erzähler     Handbells
8
   Erzähler Celeste     Orchestral Harp
4
   Prinzipal     Celesta
4
   Koppelflöte      
4
   Erzähler Celeste II ranks      
2
   Oktav      
1 1/3
   Quintflöte      
    Zimbel III ranks      
16
   Rankett      
8
   Krummhorn      
    Tremulant      
           
Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, expressive
  String Organ (Floating) – 61 notes, expressive
8
   Flauto Mirabilis
16
   Strings VI ranks
8
   French Horn
8
   Strings VI ranks
8
   Cor Anglais
4
   Strings VI ranks
8
   Corno di Bassetto
16
   Vox Humana
16
   Tuba Mirabilis
8
   Vox Humana
8
   Tuba Mirabilis     Tremulant
4
   Tuba Clarion     Gambas II Off
    Tremulant     Dulcets II Off
           
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
   Contra Violone     Second Voices
32
   Contre Bourdon
16
   Prinzipal
16
   Diapason
16
   Subbass
16
   Bourdon
8
   Oktav
16
   Violone
32
   Kontra Posaune
16
   Lieblich Gedackt (Swell)
16
   Posaune
8
   Octave      
8
   Gedacktflöte      
4
   Choralbass      
4
   Flute      
    Mixture IV ranks      
32
   Contre Bombarde      
16
   Bombarde      
16
   Waldhorn (Swell)      
8
   Trumpet      
4
   Clarion      
           
  Midmer-Losh organ (1930) formerly in Trinity Baptist Church - New York City
Previous organ in present church:

Midmer-Losh Organ Co.
Merrick, N.Y. (1930)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 29 stops, 22 ranks






The original organ in the present Trinity Baptist Church was built in 1930 by the Midmer-Losh Organ Co. of Merrick, N.Y. Twin pipe facades hid the chambers on both sides of the chancel, while the console was installed in a pit on the left side of the chancel, balancing a similar area on the right for the grand piano. Following the stoplist are two photos that show the original chancel configuration, plus a Hammond Model RT-3 electric organ in use while the Midmer-Losh organ was being repaired.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Open Diapason
73
4
   Principal
73
8
   Gross Flute
73
     Mixture III ranks
183
8
   Viola de Gambe
73
8
   Trumpet
73
               
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Bourdon [unit]
97
2 2/3
   Nazard
—
8
   Open Diapason [unit]
73
2
   Piccolo
—
8
   Rohr Flute
—
8
   Cornopean [unit]
73
8
   Salicional
73
8
   Oboe
73
8
   Celeste [TC]
49
4
   Clarion
—
4
   Principal
—
     Tremolo  
4
   Flute
—
        
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Geigen Principal
73
4
   Flute
73
8
   Flute
73
8
   Clarinet
73
8
   Dulciana
73
     Tremolo  
8
   Unda Maris [TC]
49
        
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
   Open Diapason [unit]
44
8
   Major Flute [Op. Diap.]
—
16
   Bourdon
32
8
   Principal
SW
16
   Lieblich
SW
        
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8'   Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8'   Great 16', 4', Unison Off
    Choir to Pedal 8'   Swell 16', 4', Unison Off
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Choir 16', 4', Unison Off
    Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'    
               
Midmer-Losh organ (1930) formerly in Trinity Baptist Church - New York City   Midmer-Losh organ (1930) formerly in Trinity Baptist Church - New York City
           
Previous organ in church located at 138 East 27th Street:

W.W. Kimball Co.
Chicago, Ill. (c.1894)
Tubular-pneumatic action?
2 manuals


Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
           
Sources:
     Allen Organ Studios, Inc. (Mineola, NY) web site: http://www.allenorgans-nyc.com/ Specifications of Allen organ.
     Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Gray, Christopher. "Streetscapes: Trinity Baptist Church; Repairs for a Study in Contrasts," The New York Times (Apr. 28, 1991).
     Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
     Trinity Baptist Church web site: http://www.trinityny.org
     Trupiano, Larry. Specifications of Midmer-Losh organ (1930).

Illustrations:
     Allen Organ Studios, Inc., Mineola, NY. Church interior; Allen organ console.
     Trupiano, Larry. Church interior showing twin facades and console; two views of chancel.