West End Collegiate Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
 
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West End Collegiate Church

368 West End Avenue at 77th Street
New York, N.Y. 10024
http://www.westendchurch.org


Organ Specifications:
► III/50 Austin Organs Inc., Op. 2007-A (1984)
► III/30 Austin Organ Company, Op. 2007 (1939)
• II/22 Frank Roosevelt, Op. 529 (1893)


West End Collegiate Church is part of The Collegiate Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in the City of New York, which is the oldest Protestant church with a continuing organization in America. This society can trace its origins to a loft above a gristmill in New Amsterdam in 1628, where Dutch settlers worshipped before the first permanent building was built in 1642. The millstones from that mill can be seen in the vestibule of the West End church.

In the decade prior to the building of West End Collegiate Church, the West Side, formerly farmland, experienced a building boom and surge of population, beginning with the opening of the Dakota apartments in 1884. There was a scarcity of churches in the area, and many residents continued attending church downtown or on the East Side. On October 16, 1890, the Consistory of the Collegiate Church instructed the "Committee on (FOR) a new church site west of Central Park" to price several plots of land of at least seven lots. By January of 1891 the Committee reported that they had contracted for four lots on West End Avenue and an adjacent three lots on 77th Street for $89,000. A new committee was formed to present plans for a church, chapel and school on the site. Building began in 1891 and was completed in the fall of 1892; the church was dedicated on November 20, 1892.

West End Collegiate Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)  
As the West Side expanded, criticism was made of the lack of uniformity, and developers were urged to keep the character and scale of a group of buildings similar. The Romanesque style had become overused and the architectural firm of McKim Mead & White, attempting both to attract old Knickerbocker families and give the community a sense of history, initiated a revival of Dutch Colonial on the Upper West Side. Many buildings on West End Avenue and side streets were built in this style. The design of West End Collegiate Church was chosen not only to reflect the Dutch history of the Collegiate Church, but because it was part of an urban trend at the time.

Architect Robert W. Gibson styled the church after the 1606 Vleeshal in Haarlam, The Netherlands. This style has the picturesque qualities of the Gothic, with more originality, and is historically appropriate. The materials used are long, thin brick of a Roman pattern and brown in color, trimmed freely with quoins and blockings of buff terra cotta. Some very picturesque panels carved with the coats-of-arms of the church and of past benefactors are also in terra cotta. The pulpit is large and of octagonal shape. Its handsome base is of carved oak, the panels showing the coat-of-arms of the Reformed Church and the seal of the Church. The carved oak pulpit chairs are rich examples of the Old Dutch style. (Decoratively the church is actually Renaissance Revival in style.) Over the next several decades, contributors donated the various windows we see today, three of which are from the Tiffany studios.
           
  Austin Organ, Op. 2007A (1984) at West End Collegiate Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
Austin Organs Inc.
Hartford, Conn. – Opus 2007-A (1984)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 55 stops, 50 ranks






The present Austin organ was rebuilt in 1984 by the Austin factory (Opus 2007-A), following a devastating fire in the church. The rebuilt organ added an unenclosed Great division, a floating Positiv division, and several new stops in the enclosed Great division. Electronic 32s were added to the Pedal in the early 1990s.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, partially enclosed with Choir
8
   Principal *
61
4
   Gemshorn
73
4
   Octave *
61
2
   Blockflöte
61
2
   Super Octave *
61
8
   Trompete
61
    Mixture III ranks *
183
4
   Rohrschalmei
61
8
   Doppelflöte
73
     Tremulant  
8
   Gamba
73
     Chimes  
8
   Spitzflöte
73
     Great 16'  
4
   Flöte
73
     Great 4'  
4
   Nachthorn
73
     Great Unison Off  
           
* unenclosed
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Bourdon
73
     Plein Jeu III ranks
183
8
  Gedeckt
73
8
  Trompette
73
8
  Viola
73
4
   Oboe Clarion
73
8
  Voix Celeste [TC]
61
8
   Vox Humana [sep. tremulant]
61
4
  Principal
73
     Tremulant  
4
  Flute
73
 
  Swell 16'  
2 2/3
  Nasard
61
 
  Swell 4'  
2
   Flageolet
61
     Swell Unison Off  
 
     
 
     
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Gamba
GT
8
   Cromorne
73
8
  Spitzflöte
GT
     Tremulant  
8
  Flute Celeste [TC]
61
 
 
Chimes [A22-E41]
20 tubes
8
  Viola d'Amour
73
 
  Choir 16'  
8
  Unda Maris [TC]
61
 
  Choir 4'  
4
   Flöte
GT
     Choir Unison Off  
 
     
 
     
Positiv Organ – 61 notes, floating
8
  Gedeckt
61
1
  Super Octave
61
4
  Prestant
61
 
  Scharf IV ranks
244
4
  Koppelflöte
61
 
  Sesquialtera II ranks
122
2
  Octave
61
 
  Cymbal II ranks
122
1 1/3
  Quint
61
 
     
 
     
 
     
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
  Resultant
—
8
  Gedeckt
SW
32
  Principal *
digital
4
  Super Octave
—
32
  Bourdon *
digital
32
  Dulzian *
digital
16
  Principal [unit]
56
16
  Dulzian
44
16
  Bourdon [unit]
44
8
  Dulzian
—
16
  Gedeckt
SW
4
  Rohrschalmei
GT
8
  Octave
—
 
  Chimes
CH
8
  Bourdon
—
 
     
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8', 4'   Positiv to Great 16', 8'
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Choir to Swell 8'
    Choir to Pedal 8', 4'   Positiv to Swell 16', 8'
    Positiv to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Great to Choir 8'
    Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'   Positiv to Choir 8'
         
Adjustable Combinations
   
Swell Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 (thumb)
Great Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 (thumb)
Choir Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 (thumb)
Positiv Pistons 1-2-3 (thumb)
Pedal Pistons 1-2-3-4-5 (toe)
General Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 (thumb & toe)
               
Reversibles
    Great to Pedal (thumb & toe)   Choir to Great (thumb & toe)
    Swell to Pedal (thumb & toe)   Tutti (thumb & toe) with ind.
    Choir to Pedal (thumb & toe)   Reeds Silent (thumb) with ind.
    Positiv to Pedal (thumb & toe)   Mixtures Silent (thumb) with ind.
    Swell to Great (thumb & toe)   Orch. Cresc. (thumb & toe) with ind.
               
Expression
    Balanced Pedal – Great & Choir      
    Balanced Pedal – Swell      
    Crescendo Pedal      
               
Austin Organ, Op. 2007A (1984) at West End Collegiate Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
Austin Organ, Op. 2007A (1984) at West End Collegiate Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
 
  
Austin Organ, Op. 2007A (1984) at West End Collegiate Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
Austin Organ, Op. 2007A (1984) at West End Collegiate Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
           
Austin Organs Inc.
Hartford, Conn. – Opus 2007 (1939)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 34 stops, 30 ranks



In 1939, the Austin Organ Company of Hartford, Conn., reworked the specifications of the previous Frank Roosevelt organ (Op. 529, 1893). Austin disconnected the case pipes, added a Clarinet and distributed the stops over three manuals and pedals. The following notice appeared in The Diapason(Dec. 1939):

Austin Organs, Inc., has completed the installation of a three-manual organ in the West End Collegiate Reformed Church of New York City, and the instrument was dedicated Sunday Evening Nov. 14 with Philip James and George H. Shackley, organist of the church, at the console......The old organ in the church was a Roosevelt and about one-half of the stops in the new instrument are from the old organ.  They received a thorough renovation, going through the pipe shop and voicing rooms.  The reeds are all new.  Great pains were taken in the finishing of the organ with plenty of time, so that it was no rush-job.  The entire Great and the Choir are enclosed in one expression chamber while the Swell box has its own chamber.  The instrument has a total of thirty-six stops, including a set of twenty-one tubular chimes, and 1,911 pipes.

               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed with Choir
8
   Open Diapason
73
4
   Hohlflöte
61
8
   Gamba
73
2 2/3
   Octave Quinte
61
8
   Spitzflöte
73
2
   Super Octave
61
8
   Doppelflöte
61
8
   Trumpet
73
4
   Octave
61
    
Chimes
21 tubes

     
 
     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Bourdon
73
4
  Harmonic Flute
61
8
  Violin Diapason
73
2
  Flageolet
61
8
  Stopped Flute
73
  Cornet III ranks
183
8
  Salicional
73
8
  Oboe
73
8
  Voix Celeste [TC]
61
8
  Vox Humana
61
8
  Dolce
73
 
  Tremolo  
4
  Gemshorn
61
 
     
 
     
 
     
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Gamba
GT
4
  Hohlflöte
GT
8
  Viola d'Amour
73
8
  Clarinet
73
8
  Unda Maris [TC]
61
 
  Tremolo  
8
  Spitzflöte
GT
 
 
Chimes
GT
8
  Spitzflöte Celeste [TC]
61
 
     
 
     
 
     
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
  Open Diapason
32
8
   Flute [ext.]
12
16
  Bourdon
32
8
  Cello
32
16
  Lieblich Gedeckt
SW
8
  Still Gedeckt
SW
         
Frank Roosevelt
New York City – Opus 529 (1893)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 22 stops


The original organ at West End Collegiate Church was built by Frank Roosevelt of New York City; the two-manual-and-pedal organ was installed when the present church was opened in 1892. (Some sources suggest that this organ, listed as being sold to "Collegiate Dutch Reformed", was installed at the Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue.) Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
           
Sources:
     "A Quaint Modern Church," The New York Times (Nov. 21, 1892).
     Austin Organs, Inc. web site: http://www.austinorgans.com
     The Collegiate Church Corporation web site: http://www.collegiatechurch.org/collegiate.html
     The Diapason (Dec. 1937). Stoplist of Austin Organ, Op. 2007 (1939). Courtesy Jeff Scofield.
     Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks (Third Edition). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004.
     Dunlap, David W. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Gray, Christopher. New York Streetscapes: Tales of Manhattan's Significant Buildings and Landmarks. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2003.
     Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database, Seattle, Wash.
     New York Architecture Images web site: www.nyc-architecture.com
     Ochse, Orpha. Austin Organs. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 2001.
     Salwen, Peter. Upper West Side Story: A History and Guide. New York: Abbeville Press, 1989.
     West End Collegiate Church web site: http://www.westendchurch.org

Illustrations:
     Lawson, Steven E. Church interior and Austin Organ, Op. 2007A (1984).
     New York Architecture Images web site. Exterior.