Newtown High School - Elmhurst (Queens), New York
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Newtown High School

48-01 90th Street at 48th Avenue
Elmhurst (Queens), N.Y. 11373
http://www.newtownhighschool.org







Newtown High School in Elmhurst, New York is nestled among densely packed private houses. This palatial structure has stood for over one hundred years on 48th Avenue and 90th Street, the central point of the community. Solid, dignified and regal, the school looks as if it had been there always and will last forever.

At one time, its very existence was challenged and even before that, it was one man's dream. His name was Dr. James Darius Dillingham. It was his dream, his alone, that a palatial structure would dominate the suburban, rural landscape of Newtown. His dream was an academic high school in a farming town. Dr. Dillingham was raised on a farm in Massachusetts, educated as a lawyer, and ultimately decided to become an educator. He came to Queens when he was twenty-nine years old in 1894 to be the principal of the Corona school.

The school consisted of a small wooden building that housed every grade in the town. From the start, Dr. Dillingham wanted the school to grow and so in 1897, he got the local school board to allocate $75,000 to the construction of a new building that would tower over any existing structure in the area. It took three years to be completed. In June of 1900, Newtown held a graduation for one student, William Boyce. Because Dr. Dillingham had not forgotten his childhood, Newtown was the first academic school to offer courses in agriculture. The new curriculum boasted new science laboratories, a large foreign language department, and college preparatory math. He also enlisted known scholars, such as Professor George Kingsbury, to the staff. In 1910, Newtown dropped all lower grades and became solely a high school with 747 students. That year, Newtown graduated 14 students. In the same year, 1910, the city ordered Dr. Dillingham to close the school. "It was too small", they said, "and by the way, Elmhurst didn't even need a high school". If Newtown was too small, Dr. Dillingham would solve the problem. He badgered the board for more money for expansion of the school. Each year, the board asked him to close the school and each year, he got a one-year extension.

In 1920, the board allocated $1 million for an addition to the school. It would hold a large auditorium and have an inspiring tower. When the new addition opened, the large auditorium was dedicated in the name of the standing principal and would be called Dillingham Hall. Dr. Dillingham had the pleasure of walking into an auditorium with his own name on it for fifteen more years while he was principal. By then, Newtown would have two more additions, an athletic field and 8,500 students.

Newtown High School was designed in 1917-18 by architect C.B.J. Snyder, superintendent of School Buildings for the New York City Board of Education. Snyder employed the Flemish Revival style addition to the school, which featured stepped gables and a dramatic 169-foot, centrally-placed tower topped by a cupola and turrets. The start of construction was delayed until 1920 by the First World War, and the new wing opened in September 1921. Additions to the building were designed in 1930-31 by Walter C. Martin, and in 1956-58 by Maurice Salo & Associates.

Notable alumni of Newtown High School include:

  • Andreas Gerasimos Michalitsianos, NASA astronomer and astrophysicist
  • Estée Lauder, Estée Lauder Comestics Company
  • Omar Minaya, Major League Baseball General Manager
  • Carroll O'Connor, Actor
  • Smush Parker, NBA Player
  • Carlos Ramirez, Musician - Lakota, Hope Collapse, Black Army Jacket
  • Don Rickles, Comedian
  • Zoë Saldaña, Actress
  • Michael Selearis, Professional Arm Wrestler
  • Gene Simmons, Musician - Kiss (band)
  • Risë Stevens, Opera Singer
  • Charlie Villanueva, NBA Player
  • Ramiz Khoda, Architect
               
M. P. Möller, Inc.
Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 4205 (1925)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 61 registers, 38 stops, 31 ranks


In January, 1925, the M.P. Möller Company was awarded a $48,000 contract to build four identical pipe organs for four high schools in New York City. The organs were installed in Evander Childs High School (Op. 4202) in the Bronx; Bushwick High School (Op. 4203) in Brooklyn; and Bryant High School (Op. 4204) and Newtown High School (Op. 4205) in Queens.

The organ in Newtown High School cost $11,850 and had a three-manual stop-key console of mahogany on a movable platform. Wind pressure for the entire organ was 5", except for the 16' Tuba, which was on 10" pressure.

Click here to view the Möller Factory Specifications for Opus 4202.
               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, partially enclosed with Choir
8
   Major Diapason
73
8
   Clarabella *
73
8
   English Diapason
73
4
   Harmonic Flute *
73
8
   Gamba *
73
4
   Octave *
73
8
   Gross Flute *
73
8
   Tuba *
73
8
   Dulciana *
CH
    
* enclosed in Choir swell box
 
      
 
      
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt
73
2
   Flautino
73
8
   Open Diapason
73
     Dolce Cornet III ranks [from 2' Flautino]
8
   Stopped Flute
73
8
   Cornopean
73
8
   Salicional
73
8
   Oboe
73
8
   Vox Celestis [TC]
61
8
   Vox Humana *
61
8
   Aeoline
73
     Tremulant  
4
   Rohr Flute
73
    
* separate chest, box and tremulant
4
   Gambette
73
        
 
      
 
      
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
   Contra Dulciana
85
2
   Piccolo [harmonic]
61
8
   Geigen Principal
73
8
   Clarinet
73
8
   Concert Flute
73
8
   English Horn
73
8
   Dulciana
—
     Tremulant  
8
   Viol Celeste
73
    
Concert Harp
49 bars
4
   Flute d'Amour
73
        
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
   Resultant
—
8
   'Cello
32
16
   Open Diapason
32
8
   Flute [Gross Flute]
GT
16
   Bourdon
32
16
   Tromba [ext. GT]
12
16
   Lieblich Gedeckt
SW
        
               
Couplers
    Great to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Great 16', 4'
    Choir to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell 16', 4'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Choir 16', 4'
    Choir to Great 16', 8',4'    
               
Piston Combinations
    Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5 Operating on Swell Organ
    Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 Operating on Great Organ
    Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 Operating on Choir Organ
    Pistons No. 1-2-3 Operating on Pedal Organ
    Pistons No. 1-2-3-0 Three Pedal Pistons and Release adjustable to full organ combinations
    When operating Pedal Pistons all stop action must automatically be cancelled (without affecting the position of the stop registers) thereby allowing the performer to prepare in advance while playing any combination desired which may be brought into operation at the desired moment by pressing Release Pistons.
               
Pedal Movements
    Crescendo-Sforzando Pedal   Balanced Choir and Great Pedal
    Balanced Swell Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible
               
Accessories
    Wind Indicator  
    Crescendo Indicator  
               
Sources:
     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.
     Forgotten New York web site: http://www.forgotten-ny.com
     Newtown High School web site: http://www.newtownhighschool.org
     Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications of M.P. Möller organ, Op. 4202 (1925).
     Trupiano, Larry. M.P. Möller Opus List.

Illustration:
     Forgotten New York web site: exterior with tower.