Church of St. Joan of Arc
(Roman Catholic)
82-02 35th Avenue at 83rd Street
Richmond Hill (Queens), N.Y. 11372
The Parish of St. Joan of Arc was established in 1920 by Bishop Charles E. McDonnell of Brooklyn, who appointed the Rev. Father Ward G. Meehan to be its rector. Early Masses were held in the Casino, located "in a pleasant grove on the summit of Jackson Heights." At the first Mass, Father Meehan announced that the Queensboro Corporation had donated ground for the church and rectory, and that he had ordered fabricated buildings "from one of those Middle West firms that turn out ready-made any sort of building from a hen coop to a church," at a total cost of $20,000. God willing, he continued, the congregation would be in the new buildings on August 15 of that same year. Ground was broken on Tuesday, July 6, 1920, the very day that the Maid of Orleans (Joan of Arc) was beatified in Rome, and work began on the foundations. Unfortunately, the buildings' components were lost in shipping but were finally located in the railyards in Elmhurst after Father Meehan sent wires "to every point between here and Chicago." The new building was intended to be temporary, and it was expected that a permanent church—modeled after the Gothic cathedral at Nancy, of which St. Joan is the patron saint—would be erected on the same site within five years "at a cost to exceed $250,000."
It was not until 1949 that construction began to complete the Upper Church of the present building, a brick structure with limestone trimming that is in an Italianate style. The first service in the completed church was celebrated with a solemn high midnight mass on Christmas Eve, 1950. |
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Upper Church
Geo. Kilgen & Son
St. Louis, Mo. – Opus 7479 (1950)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 44 registers, 31 stops, 34 ranks
The organ in the Upper Church was built by Kilgen & Son of St. Louis and installed in 1950. |
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Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed with Choir
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8 |
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Diapason I |
73 |
2 |
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Fifteenth |
61 |
8 |
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Diapason II |
73 |
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Tremolo |
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8 |
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Hohl Flute |
73 |
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Chimes |
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8 |
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Gemshorn |
73 |
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Great to Great 16' |
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4 |
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Principal |
73 |
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Great Unison Off |
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4 |
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Koppel Flute |
73 |
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Great to Great 4' |
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2 2/3 |
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Twelfth |
61 |
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Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Rohr Bourdon |
85 |
16 |
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Fagotto |
73 |
8 |
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Open Diapason |
73 |
8 |
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Trompette |
73 |
8 |
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Rohr Flute (fr. 16') |
— |
8 |
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Oboe |
73 |
8 |
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Viole d'Gamba |
73 |
8 |
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Vox Humana |
73 |
8 |
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Viole Celeste (TC) |
61 |
4 |
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Clarion |
73 |
4 |
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Octave Geigen |
73 |
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Tremolo |
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4 |
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Flute Triangulaire |
73 |
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Swell to Swell 16' |
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2 |
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Flautino |
61 |
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Swell Unison Off |
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Plein Jeu IV ranks |
244 |
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Swell to Swell 4' |
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Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Geigen Diapason |
73 |
8 |
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Clarinet |
73 |
8 |
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Concert Flute |
73 |
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Tremolo |
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8 |
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Dulciana |
73 |
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Harp |
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8 |
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Unda Maris (TC) |
61 |
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Choir to Choir 16' |
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4 |
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Zart Floete |
73 |
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Choir Unison Off |
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2 2/3 |
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Nasard |
61 |
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Choir to Choir 4' |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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32 |
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Sub Bourdon |
68 |
4 |
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Block Floete (fr. 32') |
— |
16 |
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Major Bass |
32 |
2 |
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Doublette (fr. 32') |
— |
16 |
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Bourdon (fr. 32') |
— |
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Plein Jeu IV ranks |
SW |
16 |
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Rohr Bourdon |
SW |
16 |
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Trombone (ext. SW Tromp.) |
12 |
8 |
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Octave |
56 |
16 |
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Fagotto |
SW |
8 |
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Bass Flute (fr. 32') |
— |
8 |
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Trompette |
SW |
8 |
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Rohr Floete |
SW |
4 |
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Clarion |
SW |
4 |
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Super Octave (fr. 8') |
— |
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Couplers
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Great to Pedal 8', 4' |
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Swell to Great 16', 8', 4' |
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Swell to Pedal 8', 4' |
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Choir to Great 16', 8', 4' |
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Choir to Pedal 8' |
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Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4' |
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Adjustable Combinations
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| Great Organ |
Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb) |
| Swell Organ |
Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb) |
| Choir Organ |
Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb) |
| Pedal Organ |
Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6 (thumb & toe) |
| General |
Pistons 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 (thumb & toe) |
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General Cancel |
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Divisional Cancels are Division name plaques |
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Pedal Movements
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Balanced Pedal – Great & Choir |
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Great to Pedal Reversible |
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Balanced Pedal – Swell |
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Sforzando |
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Crescendo Pedal |
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Lower Church
Geo. Kilgen & Son
St. Louis, Mo. – Opus 3855 (1920); moved and rev. (1970)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 20 registers, 4 stops, 6 ranks
This organ was built in 1920 for the lower church of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Long Island City. In 1970, the organ was moved to the lower church of St. Joan of Arc, at which time the organ was revised with the addition of two stops in the Swell: the Nazard and Mixture. The entire organ is enclosed in one swell box, excepting the bottom octave of the 16' Bourdon, which is divided on both sides. |
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Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Bass Flute (TC) |
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4 |
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Octave |
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8 |
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Open Diapason |
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4 |
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Flute |
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8 |
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Stopped Flute |
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4 |
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Dulcet |
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8 |
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Dulciana |
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2 |
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Flautina |
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Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Bourdon (TC) |
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2 2/3 |
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Nazard (added 1970) |
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8 |
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Open Diapason |
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2 |
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Flageolet |
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8 |
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Stopped Diapason |
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Mixture III ranks (added 1970) |
8 |
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Dolce |
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General Tremolo |
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4 |
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Flute d'Amour |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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16 |
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Bourdon |
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8 |
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Flute |
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8 |
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Open Diapason |
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8 |
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Dolce |
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Adjustable Combinations
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| Great |
Pistons 1-2 affecting Great and Pedal stops (thumb) |
| Swell |
Pistons 1-2 affecting Swell and Pedal stops (thumb) |
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Pedal Movements
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Balanced Swell Pedal |
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Crescendo Pedal |
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Stop Analysis |
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Pipes |
16 |
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Gedeckt |
97 |
8 |
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Diapason |
73 |
8 |
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Dulciana |
73 |
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Mixture III ranks (1970) |
183 |
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Total |
246 |
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Sources:
"Church of St. Joan of Arc," The New York Times (July 11, 1920).
Kloda, Barry. Specification of Geo. Kilgen & Son
Organ, Op. 3855 (1920); rev. (1970).
Kloda, Barry. Specification of Geo. Kilgen & Son
Organ, Op. 7479 (1950).
"Priest Rejoices; Finds Lost Church," The New York Times (Aug. 23, 1920).
"Queens Church Has First Service," The New York Times (Dec. 25, 1950).
Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn website: http://www.dioceseofbrooklyn.org/
Illustrations:
Mahanor, Tali. Kilgen organ, Op.
3855 (1920) in Lower Church
Roman
Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn website. Exterior |
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