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First Moravian Church
154 Lexington Avenue at 30th Street
New York, NY 10016
Organ Specifications:
154 Lexington Avenue (since 1869)
► II/18 Thomas H. Wood (1902); reb. of 1840 Erben
• II//21 Henry Erben (1840) – from Eglise du St. Esprit (1863)
Home in Twenty-ninth Street (1863-1866)
• unknown
Mott and Houston Streets (1845-1863) – Christ Church
• Hall & Erben (1835) – moved from old church
106 Fulton Street – known as Christ Church
Second building (1829-1845)
• Hall & Erben (September 1835)
• Hall & Erben (1835) – burned (August 1835)
• Henry Erben (1824) – moved from old church
First building (1752-1829)
• Henry Erben (1824)
• John Geib (1815)
• unknown (<1755) – sold for $100 to Moravian Church in Staten Island (1815) |
The New York congregation of the Unity of the Brethren Church was organized in 1748, and the first Moravian Church – known as Christ Church – was built at 106 Fulton Street in 1751-52. In 1829, a new building for Christ Church was constructed at the same location.
Today's First Moravian Church was established about 1849, and worshiped at the corner of Mott and Houston Streets until about 1866. After the Civil War, the congregation met for three years at a home on Twenty-ninth Street. In 1869, the church acquired the present building, a simple brick meeting house which was originally built ca.1849 as Rose Hill Baptist Church (later to become Madison Avenue Baptist Church). After the Baptists moved to Madison Avenue, the building was occupied by the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, during which time the Erben organ was installed. |
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Thomas H. Wood
New York City (1902)
Mechanical key and stop action
2 manuals, 16 stops, 18 ranks
In 1902, Thomas H. Wood of New York City rebuilt the 1840 Erben organ. Wood reworked the instrument so that it would have a manual compass of CC to f' (54 notes), and a pedal compass of CCC to E (29 notes). Total cost of the rebuild was $600. In 1969, the organ was rebuilt by Samuel O. Donelson of New York City. Meloni & Farrier Organbuilders are currently restoring the organ to its original G-compass. |
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Great Organ (Manual I) – 54 notes
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8 |
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Open Diapason |
54 |
2 |
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Fifteenth |
54 |
8 |
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Gamba |
54 |
8 |
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Clarinette |
54 |
8 |
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Stop'd Diapason |
54 |
8 |
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Trumpet |
54 |
4 |
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Octave |
54 |
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Swell Organ (Manual II) – 54 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Open Diapason |
54 |
2 |
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Piccolo |
54 |
8 |
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Dulciana |
54 |
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Cornet 3 ranks |
162 |
8 |
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Stop'd Diapason |
54 |
8 |
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Oboe |
54 |
4 |
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Principal |
54 |
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4 |
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Rohr Flöte |
54 |
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Tremulant |
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Pedal Organ – 29 notes
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16 |
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Open Diapason |
29 |
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Couplers (On or Off pistons under Swell manual)
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Great to Pedal |
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Swell to Pedal |
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Swell to Great |
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Henry Erben
New York City (1840)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 21 stops
The organ in First Moravian Church dates to 1840, when it was built by Henry Erben for the French Episcopal Church du St. Esprit, located at Franklin and Church Streets. This new organ was installed in a new church building, and both were described in the July 6, 1840 issue of The New-York Spectator. A paragraph about the organ stated: "The case of the organ is entirely different from any yet constructed in this country. It is ornamented with carved columns, representing the palm trees at Athens, surmounted by a cornice enriched with carved water leaves and honey suckles, the whole bronzed and gilt in the highest style of elegance." The display pipes in the facade are of of large scale: there are three towers of five metal pipes each, and two flats containing small dummy pipes, of wood, shaped to look like diapasons. The 1840 organ originally had a G-compass: manuals were GGG to f' (58 notes), and the pedal compass was CCC to C (25 notes).
In 1863, the French church was sold at auction, and the Erben organ was bought by the Church of the Mediator, who had the organ moved and installed in the current building.
Specifications of this organ have not yet been located. |
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Sources:
Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
"Ehilse [sic] Du Saint Esprit," New-York Spectator (July 6, 1840). Courtesy Stephen Pinel and Anthony Meloni.
Fox, David H. A Guide to North American Organbuilders (Rev. ed.). Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
Ogasapian, John. Organ Building in New York City: 1700-1900. Braintree: The Organ Literature Foundation, 1977.
"Opening of the First Moravian Church," The New York Times (Apr. 19, 1869).
Organ Historical Society Pipe Organ Database: http://organsociety.bsc.edu
Stocker, Harry Emilius. A History of The Moravian Church in New York City. Pub. by the author. New York City: 1922.
Webber, F.R. "Organ Scrapbook" at Organ Historical Society Archives, Princeton, NJ; 1863 Erben specifications and information on previous organs; courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
Illustrations:
Steven E. Lawson |
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