Click on images to enlarge Church of St. Francis Xavier (Roman Catholic) 225 Sixth Avenue at Carroll Street Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215 http://www.stfxbrooklyn.org Organ Specifications: Present Church (since 1904): ► III/27 Austin Organs Inc., Op. 2698 (1986) • IV Midmer-Losh Organ Company (1923) – rebuild ► III/43 Reuben Midmer & Sons (1904) First Church (1886-1904): • Reuben Midmer & Son (1886)   First church building   The Roman Catholic Church of St. Francis Xavier of the Indies was founded in 1886 by the Rev. David J. Hickey, the first pastor. The parish was named at the request of Father Hickey for his alma mater, St. Francis Xavier College in New York City. Property was purchased on Sixth Avenue at Carroll Street, and the first church was erected. By the late 1890s, Father Hickey began to plan for a new and larger church. First, the old church was removed to President Street, then the cornerstone for the new church was laid by Bishop McDonnell on Sunday afternoon, December 9, 1900. Thomas F. Houghton designed the Gothic church which was estimated to cost $150,000 without furnishings; Houghton had previously designed Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Brooklyn, dedicated in 1895. After several years of construction, the present church building was dedicated on May 15, 1904. The tower of St. Francis Xavier contains a 25-note set of Deagan Tubular Tower Chimes, installed in 1932.                 Austin Organs Inc. Hartford, Conn. – Opus 2698 (1986) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 48 stops, 27 ranks The present organ was built by Austin Organs of Hartford, Conn., and is installed behind the original 1904 Midmer organ case. Five ranks were retained from the previous Midmer organ, and preparations were made for eleven additional ranks. If completed as planned, the organ will have a total of 38 ranks.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 16   Violone preparation 4   Flöte preparation 8   Principal [in facade] 61 2   Fifteenth 61 8   Doppelflöte 61 1 1/3   Mixture IV ranks 244 8   Violone [ext.] preparation   Chimes preparation 4   Octave 61                   Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Rohrflöte 61 16   Basson [ext.] 12 8   Viole Pomposa 61 8   Trompette 61 8   Viole Celeste [TC] 49 8   Basson  61 4   Principal 61 8   Vox Humana preparation 4   Harmonic Flute preparation 4   Clairon 61 2   Octave 61   Tremulant [valve]     Sesquialtera II ranks [TC] 98     Vox Tremulant   Plein Jeu III ranks preparation                       Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Italian Principal 61 1   Principal [ext.] 12 8   Voce Humana [TC] 49 8   Clarinet 61 8   Holzgedeckt 61   Tremulant [fan] 4   Quintadena 61 8   Festival Trumpet 61 2   Principal 61   Harp             Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Subbass preparation   Harmonic IV ranks derived 16   Open Wood 32   Mixture III ranks preparation 16   Principal (in facade) 32 32   Basson [ext. SW] preparation 16   Violone GT 16   Trombone [ext. CH] 12 16   Gedeckt [ext. CH] 12 16   Basson SW 8   Octave [ext.] 12 8   Festival Trumpet CH 8   Bass Flute [ext.] 12 8   Basson SW 4   Choral Bass [ext.] 12 8   Clarinet CH 4   Flöte [ext.] 12 4   Basson SW                 Midmer-Losh Organ Company Merrick, N.Y. (1923) Electro-pneumatic action 4 manuals The Midmer-Losh Company rebuilt the original 1904 organ and enlarged it to four manuals. By the 1980s, the organ had become unplayable. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.                 Reuben Midmer & Sons Brooklyn, N.Y. (1904) Tubular-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 40 stops, 43 ranks The original organ in St. Francis Xavier Church was built in 1904 by Reuben Midmer & Sons of Brooklyn. Installed in the gallery of the church, the tubular-pneumatic organ included a seven-section facade with three towers. Pipe counts listed below are estimated, based on similar Midmer organs from this period.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 61 4   Octave 61 8   First Open Diapason 61 4   Flute Harmonique 61 8   Second Open Diapason 61 2   Super Octave 61 8   Viola di Gamba 61   Mixture IV ranks 244 8   Doppel Flute 61 8   Trumpet 61             Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 73 4   Flute Traverso 73 8   Open Diapason 73 2   Flageolet 61 8   Salicional 73   Dolce Cornet III ranks 183 8   Aeoline 73 16   Contra Fagotta 73 8   Vox Celeste [TC] 61 8   Cornopean 73 8   Stopped Diapason 73 8   Oboe 73 4   Fugara 73 8   Vox Humana 73                 Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Contra Gamba 73 8   Quintadena 73 8   Violin Diapason 73 4   Violina 73 8   Dulciana 73 4   Flute d'Amour 73 8   Clarinet Flute 73 2   Piccolo 61 8   Melodia 73 8   Clarinet 73             Pedal Organ – 30 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 30 16   Double Gamba CH 16   Bourdon 30 8   Violoncello 30 16   Lieblich Gedackt SW 16   Trombone 30                 Reuben Midmer & Son Brooklyn, N.Y. (1886) Mechanical action The first St. Francis Xavier Church had an organ built by Reuben Midmer & Son. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.                 Sources:      "Midmer Pipe Organs." Brooklyn: Reuben Midmer & Sons, Inc., c.1917. Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.      The New Music Review (undated) with specifications of Reuben Midmer & Son Organ (1904). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      "New St. Francis Xavier's," The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Dec. 2, 1900.      Organs in the United States and Canada Database (OUSCDB); courtesy George Nelson.      Peterson, Mark. Specifications of Austin Organ, Op. 2698 (1986).      St. Francis Xavier Church website: http://www.stfxbrooklyn.org/      Tower Bells Supersite website: http://home.swbell.net/csz_stl/towerbells/TowerBells.html Photos and images:      Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn Collection: original church, 1927 interior photo.      eBay.com: 1909 postcard.      "Midmer Pipe Organs." Photo of Reuben Midmer & Son organ (c.1917).   | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |