1909 Photo of Interior St. Mary Episcopal Church 230 Classon Avenue corner Willoughby Street Brooklyn, N.Y. 11205 Organ Specifications: Present Building (since 1859) ► IV/35 M.P. Möller, Op. 2339 (1917) ► III/36 Reuben Midmer & Sons (1870) • William H. Davis (1859) • I/7 L.C. Harrison & Co., Op. 1350 (1890) – Parish Hall First Building (1837-1859) • unknown St. Mary’s Protestant Episcopal Church was begun on Classon avenue at the Wallabout, by the Rev. D. V. M. Johnson, while in charge of Trinity church. A Sunday school was established in March, 1836, and formed the nucleus of a church. Here the Rev. Mr. Johnson held services on Sunday afternoons for about six months. In May, 1837, Mr. Joseph Hunter took charge of the school, and served as a lay-reader to a small congregation which assembled with the children. During the year an edifice of a very limited extent was erected, and a church organized, to which the name of St. Mary’s was given. This was consecrated on the first of February, 1840, and was enlarged in 1841, so as to accommodate about two hundred and fifty persons. The parish grew rapidly during the following years, and the church was twice enlarged. In 1856, the Rev. Mr. Johnson, who was originally instrumental in forming the parish, became rector; and as the accommodations were no longer adequate, ground was purchased in the neighborhood, on Classon avenue, near Myrtle, one hundred and sixty-four feet front and two hundred and eighteen deep. The corner-stone of a new edifice of brown freestone was laid in the summer of 1858; and the neat and tasteful Gothic structure, designed by Mr. [Richard T.] Auchmuty, fifty-eight fleet wide and one hundred and fifteen feet long, with its tower and spire, and a capacious basement fitted up for the Sunday school, completed in the year following, and opened for divine services on Trinity Sunday. The outlay for ground and church was $32,000; the sittings are free. On the 24th of May, 1862, St. Mary’s was consecrated by the bishop of the diocese, the Rev. Dr. William F. Morgan, of St. Thomas’s church, New York, preaching the sermon. from History of the City of Brooklyn by Henry R. Stiles In 1981, St. Mary's Episcopal Church was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and in 1983 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.                 M.P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 2339 (1917) Electro-pneumatic action 4 manuals, 44 stops, 35 ranks The status of this organ in 2007 is unknown.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, partially enclosed (4" wind pressure) 16   Double Open Diapason 61 4   Octave * 61 8   1st Open Diapason 61 4   Flute Harmonic * 61 8   2nd Open Diapason 61 2   Fifteenth * 61 8   Doubleflute * 61 8   Trumpet * 61 8   Viola * 61     * enclosed with Choir                 Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed (4" wind pressure) 16   Bourdon 73 4   Stopped Flute 73 8   Open Diapason 73 2   Flautina 73 8   Clarabella 73   Mixture III ranks [12-15-17] 219 8   Salicional 73 8   Cornopean 73 8   Viole d'Orchestra 73 8   Oboe 73 8   Celeste [TC] 61 8   Vox Humana 73 4   Principal 73   Tremulant                 Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed (4" wind pressure) 8   Violin Diapason 61 4   Open Flute 61 8   Melodia 61 2   Piccolo 61 8   Dulciana 61 8   Clarinet 61 8   Vox Angelica [TC] 49   Tremulant                 Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed (10" wind pressure) 8   Diapason 61 8   Tuba Mirabilis [ext.] — 16   Tuba Profunda 85 4   Tuba Clarion [ext.] —                 Pedal Organ – 30 notes (4" and 10" wind pressure) 32   Resultant — 8   Flute [ext. 16'] — 16   Open Diapason 30 8   Violoncello [Violin Diap.] CH 16   Bourdon 42 16   Tuba Profunda + SO 16   Echo Bourdon SW 8   Tuba Mirabilis + SO 16   Violone [fr. GT 16' O. Diap.] GT 4   Tuba Clarion + SO 8   Octave [fr. GT 16' O. Diap.] GT     + 10" wind pressure                   Reuben Midmer & Sons Brooklyn, N.Y. (1870) Mechanical action 3 manuals, 32 stops, 36 ranks 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. Webber notes that the organ cost $5,000, and "Weekly Review".                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes 16   Double Diapason 58 2 2/3   Twelfth 58 8   Open Diapason 58 2   Fifteenth 58 8   Viola di Gamba 58   Sesquialtera, 3 ranks 174 8   Doppel Flute 58 8   Trumpet 58 4   Principal 58 4   Clarion 58 4   Flute Harmonique 58                     Swell Organ (Manual III) – 58 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 58   Cornet, 3 ranks 174 8   Open Diapason 58 8   Cornopean 58 8   Salicional 58 8   Hautboy 58 8   Stopped Diapason 58 8   Vox Humana [TC] 46 4   Principal 58   Tremulant 4   Flute d'Amour 58                     Choir Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes 8   Dulciana 58 4   Violino 58 8   Keraulopohon 58 2   Piccolo 58 8   Melodia 58 8   Clarinet [TC] 46 4   Flauto Traverso 58                     Pedale Organ – 30 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 30 8   Violoncello 30 16   Double Dulciana 30 16   Trombone 30                 Couplers     Great to Pedals       Great to Swell       Choir to Pedals       Great to Choir       Swell to Pedals       Choir to Swell                   Compositions   Four composition pedals                 William H. Davis New York City (1859) Mechanical action Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.                  Organ in Parish Hall: L.C. Harrison & Co. New York City – Opus 1350 (ca.1890) Mechanical action 1 manuals, 7 stops Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.                  Sources:      The American Organist. New York: May 1918. Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.      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.       Morrone, Francis. An Architectural Guidebook to Brooklyn. Brooklyn: Gibbs Smith, 2001.      Stiles, Henry Reed. History of the City of Brooklyn, New York. Brooklyn: 1867-70.      Webber, F.R. "Organ scrapbook" at Organ Historical Society Archives, Princeton, N.J. Specification of Reuben Midmer & Sons organ (1870). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen. Photos:      eBay.com: 1909 photo of church interior.      Möller Organ console photo. The American Organist. New York: May 1918. Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.       | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |