St. Raymond Roman Catholic Church - The Bronx, N.Y.
  Click on images to enlarge
Church of St. Raymond
(Roman Catholic)

 1759 Castle Hill Avenue at East Tremont Avenue
Bronx, N.Y. 10462


Organ Specifications:
Present building (since 1898):
• Allen Organ Company electronic (2007)
► III/45 Delaware Organ Company (1962) – removed (2007)
• II/4 Delaware Organ Company – Lower Church
• unknown (c.1898)
Original building (1845-1898):
• unknown


1897 photo of original St. Raymond Roman Catholic Church - The Bronx, N.Y.  
Original Church (1897)  
 
Present Church (1907)  
   
The Parish of St. Raymond was founded by Bishop John Hughes in 1842, and was the first Roman Catholic church in the Bronx. In the early years, the parish worshiped in an old wooden barn that had been converted for use as a temporary church. In 1845, a simple but solid church with a wooden tower was built on what is now Tremont Avenue. A cemetery was established on the church grounds.

  St. Raymond Roman Catholic Church - The Bronx, N.Y.
On October 10, 1897, the cornerstone was laid for the present church, which was to be built just behind the original church. George H. Streeton designed the Byzantine Revival-style church that features twin towers and a dome. To complete the church, skilled craftsmen were brought in from Italy and housed nearby until the work was completed. The new church was dedicated on October 23, 1898. Over time, the church complex grew to include an elementary school, rectory, brothers' residence, convent, boys' high school, and an auditorium and gymnasium. In the 1960s, the church was renovated and redecorated to conform with requirements recommended by the Second Vatican Council.
           

Allen Organ Company
Macungie, Penn. (2007)
Electronic tonal production


In 2007, an electronic instrument by the Allen Organ Company replaced the pipe organ built in 1962 by the Delaware Organ Company. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.

           

Delaware Organ Company, Inc.
Tonawanda, N.Y. (1962)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 36 stops, 45 ranks
               
Hauptwerk (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  Quintaton
61
4
  Rohrflöte
61
8
  Principal
61
2
  Flachflöte
61
8
  Bourdun
61
  Mixtur IV ranks
244
4
   Oktav
61
8
   Trompete
61

     

     
Schwellwerk (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Rohrflöte
61
  Scharf IV ranks
244
8
  Gamba
61
16
  Dulzian
61
8
  Schwebung [TC]
49
8
  Helletrompete
61
4
  Nachthorn
61
4
   Schalmey
61
2
   Principal
61
  Tremulant
               
Kronwerk (Manual I) – 61 notes
8
   Gedackt
61
2
  Waldflöte
61
4
   Principal
61
1 3/5
   Terz
61
4
  Koppelflöte
61
  Cymbal IV ranks
244
2 2/3
   Nasat
61
8
   Krummhorn
61
               
Pedal – 32 notes
16
  Principal
32
2
   Hohlflöte
32
16
  Subbass
32
  Mixtur IV ranks
128
16
  Quintaton
GT
16
   Posaune
32
8
   Principal
32
8
   Posaune [ext.]
12
8
   Dolce Bass
32
8
   Posaune [ext.]
12
4
   Choral Bass
32
   

           

Organ in Lower Church:

Delaware Organ Company, Inc.
Tonawanda, N.Y.
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 4 ranks


The Delaware Organ Company installed a two-manual, four-rank unit organ in the Lower Church. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.

           

Original Organ in Present Church:

Unknown Builder
(c.1898)

To date, information about the original organ in the present church has not been found.

           

Organ in Original Church:

Unknown Builder

The original church probably had an organ, but no details about such an organ have been found.

           
Sources:
     Ultan, Lloyd Ultan, and Gary D. Hermalyn. Bronx in the Innocent Years. New York: Bronx Historical Society, 1979.
     The Diapason, January 1964. Specifications of Delaware Organ (1962); courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
     The Diapason, January 1966. Delaware Ad with specifications of Delaware Organ (1962); courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
     "St. Raymond's Church in Bronx Celebrates 125th Anniversary," The New York Times, October 30, 1967.
     Twomey, Bill. The Bronx: In Bits and Pieces. Bloomington, IN: Rooftop Publishing, 2007.

Photos:
     eBay.com: 1907 postcard of present church.
     http://thebronxbloggers.blogspot.com: exterior of present church.
     Bronx Historical Society: 1897 photo of original church.
     http://parkchester.homestead.com: interior of present church.
 

| NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organs List |