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Church of the Redeemer
(Episcopal)
561 Pacific Street at Fourth Avenue
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11217
The Church of the Redeemer was founded on June 26, 1853, with services held in a hall over the market on the corner of Fulton Avenue and Elm Place. In 1854, the vestry purchased seven lots, comprising the present site, and proceeded to erect a chapel capable of containing five hundred persons. The edifice was in the Byzantine style, after designs by Mr. G. Wheeler, architect, and cost with the lots, $18,000. It was first occupied for public worship on Easter Day, 1855. In its early efforts this parish was liberally aided by the Church of the Holy Trinity.
The present church building, located on the northwest corner of Fourth Avenue and Pacific Street, was formally opened on July 1, 1866. Patrick C. Keely designed the Gothic-inspired church, which is built of blue stone with sandstone trimming, and consists of nave, aisles, chancel, with recesses on either side for the organ and antiphonal choirs. It has an altar and font of elaborately carved Caen stone, with chancel and other furniture of black walnut. The expenditure, including the cost of the organ, was a little over $30,000. The church was later elegantly decorated with polychrome.
portions from History of the City of Brooklyn by Henry R. Stiles
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Reuben Midmer & Sons/Gunzelman
Brooklyn, N.Y. (1906); rev.; as of 2006
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 25 stops, ca. 21 ranks |
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The present organ at Church of the Redeemer dates from the Reuben Midmer & Sons organ of 1906. The action was electrified in the 1950s, and over the years various tonal changes were made and a new electric console installed. As of 2006, three ranks are extant in the organ chamber but are not connected to the present console: a wooden 16' Open Diapason, an 8' Doppel Flute, and a Pedal Trumpet. Almost all of the Great division's pipes are missing, some of the Aeoline rank still exists, and the Chimes and most of the toeboards have disappeared. The Swell division is extant. Following is the specification as of 2006: |
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Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Aeoline |
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4 |
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Flute d'Amour |
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8 |
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Melodia |
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2 |
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Fifteenth |
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8 |
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Dulciana |
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Tremulant |
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8 |
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Unda Maris |
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Chimes |
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4 |
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Octave |
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Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Bourdon |
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4 |
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Chimney Flute |
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8 |
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Diapason |
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2 2/3 |
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Nasard |
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8 |
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Rohr Flute |
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2 |
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Flautino |
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8 |
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Salicional |
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8 |
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Oboe |
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8 |
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Voix Celeste |
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8 |
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Trumpet (Mixture) |
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4 |
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Principal |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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16 |
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Lieblich Gedeckt |
SW |
8 |
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Bourdon |
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16 |
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Bourdon |
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4 |
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Choral Bass |
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10 2/3 |
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Quint |
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4 |
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Flute |
SW |
8 |
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Octave |
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Blank |
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Paul Gunzelman
New York City (1965)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 31 stops, ca. 32 ranks
In 1965, Paul Gunzelman of New York rebuilt the Reuben Midmer & Sons organ with the following specification: |
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Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Principal |
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2 2/3 |
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Nazard |
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8 |
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Principal |
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2 |
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Gemshorn |
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8 |
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Wood Flute |
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1 3/5 |
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Tierce |
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8 |
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Dulciana |
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Mixture III-IV ranks |
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4 |
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Octave |
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8 |
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Trumpet |
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4 |
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Open Flute |
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Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Bourdon |
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4 |
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Principal |
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8 |
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Viole |
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1 1/3 |
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Quint |
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8 |
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Viole Celeste |
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Scharf II-III ranks |
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8 |
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Gedeckt |
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8 |
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Schalmey-Oboe |
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4 |
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Geigen |
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Tremolo |
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4 |
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Harmonic Flute |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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32 |
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Cornet |
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4 |
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Octave [ext.?] |
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16 |
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Principal |
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4 |
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Chorale Flute [ext.?] |
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16 |
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Subbass |
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2 |
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Octave [ext.?] |
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8 |
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Octave |
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Rauschquite II ranks |
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8 |
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Gedecktpommer [ext.?] |
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16 |
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Posaune |
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Reuben Midmer & Sons
Brooklyn, N.Y. (1906)
Tubular-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 26 stops, 27 ranks
In 1906, the Reuben Midmer & Sons firm built a new organ for the Church of the Redeemer. It is also possible that Midmer rebuilt the Johnson & Son organ from 1866, applying tubular-pneumatic action. The organ was Installed in a corner chamber of the chancel. The following specification was recorded by F.R. Webber (1887-1963), whose "Organ Scrapbooks" are in the possession of The Organ Historical Society Archives in Princeton, N.J. |
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Great Organ (Manual I)
– 61 notes
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16 |
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Open Diapasaon [1-12 stopped] |
61 |
4 |
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Octave |
61 |
8 |
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Open Diapasaon |
61 |
4 |
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Flute d'Amour |
61 |
8 |
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Viol d'Gamba |
61 |
2 |
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Super Octave |
61 |
8 |
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Dulciana |
61 |
8 |
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Trumpet |
61 |
8 |
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Doppel Flute |
61 |
8 |
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Clarinet |
61 |
8 |
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Melodia * |
49 |
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* 1-12 common bass with Doppel Flute |
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Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Bourdon |
61 |
4 |
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Violina |
61 |
8 |
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Violin Diapason |
61 |
4 |
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Flute Harmonique |
61 |
8 |
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Salicional |
61 |
2 |
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Flageolet |
61 |
8 |
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Vox Celeste [TC] |
49 |
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Cornet, 2 ranks |
122 |
8 |
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Aeoline |
61 |
8 |
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Oboe |
61 |
8 |
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Stopped Diapason |
61 |
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Tremolo |
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Pedal Organ – 30 notes
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16 |
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Double Open Diapason |
30 |
16 |
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Lieblich Gedeckt |
30 |
16 |
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Bourdon |
30 |
8 |
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Violoncello |
30 |
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Couplers
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Swell to Pedal |
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Swell to Great 16', 8', 4' |
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Great to Pedal |
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Pedal Movements
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Balanced Swell Pedal |
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Great to Pedal Reversible |
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Crescendo Pedal |
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2 Comb. Pedal on Great |
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Organ in the Sunday school:
Reuben Midmer & Sons
Brooklyn, N.Y.
The ledger books of Reuben Midmer & Sons show that they had an organ in the Sunday school. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located. |
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Johnson & Son
Westfield, Mass. – Opus 203 (1866)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 26 stops, 27 ranks
In 1866, a new organ was installed by Johnson & Son of Westfield, Mass. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located, but they may be the same as the Reuben Midmer & Son organ above. |
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Wm. H. Davis
New York City (1858)
Mechanical action
The original organ for the first church was built in 1858 by William H. Davis of New York City. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located. |
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Sources:
The Diapason, September 1965. Specification of Paul Gunzelman rebuild of organ (1965); courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
Johnson & Son Opus List, compiled by Sand Lawn. Courtesy David Scribner.
LaJolla, Diego. Specification of present organ (2006).
Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
Stern, Robert A.M., Thomas Mellins, and David Fishman. New York 1880: Architecture and Urbanism in the Gilded Age. New York: The Monacelli Press, Inc., 1999.
Stiles, Henry Reed. History of the City of Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn: 1867-70.
Trupiano, Larry. Specification of Reuben Midmer & Sons organ (1906), from the Midmer Ledger Books.
Webber, F.R. "Organ scrapbook" at Organ Historical Society Archives, Princeton, N.J. Specification of Johnson & Son organ, Op. 203 (1866). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
Photos:
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Brooklyn Public Library, the Brooklyn Collection: exterior.
LaJolla, Diego: Reuben Midmer & Sons organ facade; console in 2006. |
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