Click on images to enlarge United Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood 62-54 60th Place near Metropolitan Avenue Ridgewood (Queens), N.Y. 11385 http://upcridgewood.org Organ Specifications: Present building (since 1910) ► II/20 M.P. Möller, Inc., Op. 1053 (1909) First building (1864-1910) • unknown The United Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood came into being when the St. James United Presbyterian Church, also of Ridgewood, made overtures to unite with the First Presbyterian Church of East Williamsburgh, by which name the church was known since its founding in 1863. The merger of the two congregations took place in October 1993, coinciding with the 130th anniversary of the East Williamsburgh Church.   Original church building   There were 26 persons who banded together in the Civil War year of 1862 to petition the Presbytery of Nassau to organize a Presbyterian church in this area in which the preaching would be in the German language. They were led by the Rev. Louis Eulner, a missionary from the American Tract Society, who had conducted Sunday School in their homes. In October 1863, the church called its first pastor. A little white wooden church was built and dedicated in 1864 on the site of the present edifice. It was not until 1875 that Rev. Eulner returned to the struggling young church and became its fifth pastor, a position he held for 20 years.     Present church, manse and original church in the the early 1900s In 1903, the Rev. John Dietz answered the call of the congregation and served for the next 25 years. During that time, the congregation outgrew the old building and, with the help of the Ladies Aid Society, the church raised the necessary funds ($78,000) to erect the present Renaissance-style building with stained glass windows imported from France. The dedication took place on May 22, 1910 when the congregation numbered 500 and there were 750 pupils in the Sunday School. In the summer of 1928, a grateful congregation honored Dr. Dietz by sending him and his wife Frieda on a trip to Germany (it was his 25th anniversary as pastor). His doctors had recommended the trip abroad so that he might recover from a nervous condition brought on by overwork. On the long sea voyage he preached twice, and while in Germany met President Von Hindenburg. He wrote frequently to his flock at home and his letters were read from the pulpit by the clerk of Session. His health, however, did not improve. It was while he was seated in the compartment of a train en route to Berlin that, without warning, he was stricken with a heart attack and died. He was 64 when death claimed him and was laid to rest in Lutheran Cemetery. The pastor who delivered the eulogy at Dr. Dietz's funeral, a friend of the congregation, Dr. Frederick W. Hock, became Dietz's logical successor, leaving a church in Newark to become pastor here in February 1929. One of the first changes that Dr. Hock made was the introduction of services in the English language. German services were continued until the 1940's when the congregation was predominately English-speaking. It was during his pastorate that the church became known as "Old First." Dr. Hock died in 1939, and it remained for his successor, the Rev. Paul T. Bahner, to remind the congregation of its original name, which was then restored. Over the years, the East Williamsburgh neighborhood became associated with Ridgewood. At some point following the riots which took place during the 1977 Blackout, residents of Ridgewood wanted to disassociate with nearby Bushwick and successfully petitioned the U.S. Postal Service to change their zip code to one belonging to the borough of Queens. Today, the church shares its space with the Indo-Pak Presbyterian Fellowship, and has a yoke arrangement in which the pastor is shared with the Ridgewood Presbyterian Church.
Organ case at left side of chancel M.P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 1053 (1909) Tubular-pneumatic action 2 manuals, 22 stops, 20 ranks The following specifications are from the contract that was copied in a Möller ledger book. Dated October 2, 1909, the contract shows that Möller would build a two-manual and pedal organ with tubular-pneumatic action for the sum of $5,000, less a $300 donation to the church. Möller stated that the organ would be complete and ready for use on or before the 1st day of March, 1910 or as soon thereafter as possible. On April 7, 1910, the organ was shipped via Pennsylvania Rail Road Car No. 48995, and included 52 parts weighing a total of 11,610 pounds. Möller consigned the organ to Rev. J. Dietz, pastor, and indicated that the organ would be delivered to the Bushwick Junction Station of the Long Island Rail Road. Two boxes of pipes and crate material were shipped on April 28, 1910. The status of this organ is unknown.                 Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Open Diapason 73 4   Flute d'Amour 73 8   Doppel Floete 73 4   Principal 73 8   Dulciana 73 8   Clarinet [TC] 61 8   Viola di Gamba 73 8   Trumpet 73                 Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Lieblich Gedacht 73 8   Aeoline 73 8   Open Diapason 73 4   Violina 73 8   Stopped Diapason 73 4   Flute Harmonique 73 8   Viol d'Orchestre 73 8   Cornopean 73 8   Voix Celeste [TC] 61 8   Vox Humana 73                 Pedal Organ – 30 notes 16   Open Diapason [unit] 42 8   Octave — 16   Bourdon [unit] 42 8   Flute —                 Couplers     Great to Pedal       Great 4', Unison Separation     Swell to Pedal       Swell 4', 16', Unison Separation     Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'                           Mechanicals     Tremulant       Wind Indicator               Crescendo Indicator                   Adjustable Combinations     Pistons No. 1-2-3 affecting Swell and Pedal Stops     Pistons No. 4-5-6 affecting Great and Pedal Stops                 Pedal Movements     Great to Pedal Reversible           Balanced Great Pedal           Balanced Swell Pedal           Grand Crescendo Pedal
Sources:      Haberstroh, Richard. The German Churches of Metropolitan New York: A Research Guide. New York: The New York Genealogical & Biographical Society, 2000.      Trupiano, Larry. Factory Contract and Specifications of M.P. Möller Organ, Op. 1053 (1909).      United Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood web site: http://upcridgewood.org Illustrations:      The German Churches of Metropolitan New York: A Research Guide. 1864 building.      Google street view. Exterior.      United Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood web site. Buildings in 1900s; interior (2010).
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