Click on images to enlarge Fordham University Rose Hill Campus 441 East Fordham Road at East 191st Street Bronx, N.Y. 10458 website University Church – St. John's Church Organ Specifications: ► II/40 Lehigh Organ Company (1979) ► II/21 William W. Laws (<1950) ► II/9 William W. Laws (<1950) – Crypt ► II/10 Hilborne L. Roosevelt, Op. 48 (1879) • Henry Erben & Co. (1843) The Fordham University campus in the Bronx occupies land that was once part of the "Rose Hill" estate of Horatio S. Moat, a merchant of Brooklyn. In 1839, the manor was purchased by Bishop John Hughes, who would later become New York's first archbishop. In 1841, St. John's College was established with classes held in Horatio Moat's former country home. The Greek Revival building house is of fieldstone and is noted for its Ionic entrance porch and an octagonal cupola. Wings were added to the Moat House in 1907, and today the building is extant as the Administration Building. St. John's Church, now known as the University Church, was built from 1841-45 to serve the seminary and Catholics in the area. William Rodrigue, a teacher at St. John's College and the brother-in-law of Bishop Hughes, designed the Gothic Revival stone church with its tall pinnacled tower. The bell in the tower, known since as "Old Edgar Allan", is said to have inspired Poe, a friend and neighbor, to write his celebrated poem, "The Bells". The windows of the nave were presented by Louis Philippe, King of the French, in 1846. The chapel was enlarged in 1928-29 when a large transept, designed by Emile Perrot, was added. A plaque placed on the church exterior by the Alumni Sodality in 1939 gives a background: "The Rev. James Roosevelt Bayley, third president of the college, a nephew of the venerable Elizabeth Seton and cousin of two presidents of the United States [Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt], afterward Bishop of Newark and Archbishop of Baltimore, erected this church in 1845 as a seminary chapel. " The plaque was unveiled by FDR's mother, Mrs. James Roosevelt. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated four buildings on the Rose Hill Campus of Fordham University: Horatio Shepheard Moat House (1970); Alumni House (1981); St. John's Church (1970); and St. John's Hall, Queen's Court (1970).                 Lehigh Organ Company Macungie, Penn. (1979) Electro-pneumatic action 2 manuals, 33 stops, 40 ranks                 Grande Orgue (Manual I) – 56 notes (61-note keyboard) 16   Flûte courte 56 2   Octavin 56 8   Montre 56   Cornet II ranks 112 8   Bourdon à cheminée 56   Fourniture V ranks 280 4   Prestant 56 8   Trompette 56 4   Flûte à fuseau 56                     Récit expressif (Manual II) – 56 notes (61-note keyboard), enclosed 16   Bourdon 56 1 3/5   Tierce 56 8   Viole 56 1 1/3   Larigot 56 4   Cor de chamois 56   Cymbale IV ranks 224 2 2/3   Nasard 56 8   Chalumeau 56 2   Doublette 56   Tremulant                 Choral Organ (floating) – 56 notes (61-note keyboard) 8   Flute de bois 56 2   Flûte à bec 156 4   Prestant 56   Plein jeu III ranks 168 4   Flûte à cheminée 56 16   Pedal Bourdon [ext.] 12             Pédale Orgue – 32 notes 16   Principal 32   Fourniture III ranks 96 16   Soubasse 32 16   Bombarde 32 8   Octave 32 8   Trompette G.O. 8   Flute 32 4   Chalumeau Réc. 4   Basse de Chorale 32                       Couplers     G.O. – Pédale       Réc – G.O.       Récit – Pédale       G.O. – Choral       Choral – Pédale       Récit – Choral                   William W. Laws Beverly, Mass. (<195-) Electro-pneumatic action 2 manuals, 27 stops, 21 ranks Sometime before 1950, William W. Laws rebuilt the Hilborne Roosevelt Organ, Op. 48 (1879). 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. Pipecounts are estimated, although it is unknown if Laws extended the manuals to 61 notes and pedal to 32 notes.                 Great Organ (Manual I) 16   Bourdon 61 2 2/3   Twelfth 61 8   Open Diapason 61 2   Fifteenth 61 8   Major Flute 61   Mixture III ranks 183 8   Dulciana 61 16   Tuba 85 8   Melodia 61 8   Tuba [ext.] — 4   Octave 61 4   Tuba [ext.] — 4   Harmonic Flute 61                     Swell Organ (Manual II) – enclosed 8   Violin Diapason 61 4   Flute 61 8   Gedeckt 61 4   Violina 61 8   Salicional 61 8   Oboe 61                 Pedal Organ 32   Resultant — 8   Gedeckt [ext.] — 16   Open Diapason 44 16   Tuba GT 16   Bourdon 44 8   Tuba GT 8   Major Flute GT 4   Tuba GT                  Organ in the Crypt: William W. Laws Beverly, Mass. (<195-) Mechanical? action 2 manuals, 9 stops, 9 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 noted: "This organ was rebuilt by W.W. Laws some years ago. The original builder is unknown. It is 9' 8" wide, 6' 6" deep and 10' high in its present state. St. John's Chapel is about a century old."                 Great Organ (Manual I) 8   Open Diapason 8   Dolcissimo 8   Melodia 4   Principal                 Swell Organ (Manual II) – enclosed 8   Violin Diapason   4   Flute Harmonique 8   Stopped Diapason                       Pedal Organ 16   Bourdon         8   Flute                           Hilborne L. Roosevelt New York City – Opus 48 (1879) Mechanical action 2 manuals, 10 stops, 10 ranks                 Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes 8   Open Diapason 58 4   Gemshorn 58 8   Dulciana [TC] 46 2   Piccolo Harmonique 58 8   Doppel Flöte 58                     Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes, enclosed 8   Violin Diapason 58 4   Flute Harmonique 58 8   Stopped Diapason 58 8   Oboe 58             Pedal Organ – 27 notes 16   Bourdon 27                         Couplers     Swell to Great       Swell to Pedal     Swell to Great Octaves       Great to Pedal                   Henry Erben & Co. New York City (1843) Mechanical action The first known organ for St. John's Church was built in 1843 by Henry Erben of New York. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.                   Sources:      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.      Fordham University Rose Hill Campus website.      Hermalyn, Gary, Robert Kornfeld. Landmarks of The Bronx. Bronx, N.Y.: Bronx Historical Society, 1989.      Minotti, Robert. Specifications of Lehigh Organ (1979).      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      Webber, F.R. "Organ scrapbook" at Organ Historical Society Archives, Princeton, N.J. Specifications of Crypt Organ, rebuilt by W.W. Laws; and of the Roosevelt Organ, Op. 48, rebuilt by W.W. Laws; courtesy Jonathan Bowen. Photos:      Fordham University Rose Hill Campus website: old postcard of University Church.      Minotti, Robert: chapel interior.       | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organs List |