Grace Chapel - New York City (American Architect & Building News, Aug. 1, 1896)

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Grace Chapel
(Episcopal)

406 East 14th Street
New York, N.Y. 10009







Organ Specifications:
406 East 14th Street (1896-1943) – now Immaculate Conception RC
► III/40 C.S. Haskell (1907)
East 14th Street between Third and Fourth Avenues (1876-1896?)
• unknown
East 14th Street (1861-burned 1872) – aka Chapel of the Redemption
• II/23 Levi U. Stuart (1861) – burned (1872)
Madison Avenue at East 28th Street (1850-1852)
– reorg. as Church of the Incarnation; cong. built own church;
– chapel reincarnated as Church of the Atonement
• unknown
           
Organ in Grace Chapel located at 406 East 14th Street (1896-1943):

   1898 photo showing organ in Grace Chapel - New York City (Episcopal Diocese of New York Archives)
C. S. Haskell
Philadelphia, Penn. (1907)
Electro-pneumatic action
3 manuals, 41 stops, 40 ranks



The photo at the right, dated 1898, shows an organ facade in the chancel of Grace Chapel. This organ may have been moved from the previous chapel, or it may be that the C.S. Haskell organ actually dated from the opening of the chapel in 1896.

The following specification was recorded in an organ notebook by Lynnwood Farnam (1885-1930), noted concert organist of the early 20th century. Farnam commented:
Very poor and cheap both tonally and mechanically. Terrible.
 
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Double Open Diapason
61
2
  Fifteenth
61
8
  Major Open Diapason
61
  Mixture III ranks
183
8
  Open Diapason
61
8
  SW. Tuba
SW
8
  Melodia
61
16
   Tuba [unit]
85
8
   Philomela
61
8
   Tuba
—
8
   Dulciana
61
4
   Tuba
—
4
   Octave
61
        
               
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Bourdon
61
4
  Wald Flute
61
16
  Contra Salicional
61
4
  Violina
61
8
  Open Diapason
61
2
  Piccolo
61
8
  Lieblich Gedeckt
61

  Echo Cornet III ranks
183
8
   Muted Viol
61
8
   Tuba
61
8
   Viol Celeste
61
8
   Cornopean
61
8
   Viol d'Orchestre
61
8
   Oboe
61
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
   Open Diapason
61
4
   Flute Harmonique
61
8
   Stopped Diapason
61
8
   Clarinet
61
8
   Dolce
61
8
   Tuba
SW
8
   Viol di Gamba
61
        

     

     
Pedal Organ – 30 notes
16
  [Spare]
–
16
   Bourdon
30
16
  Open Diapason
30
16
  Contra Salicional
SW
16
  Open Diapason
30
16
  Lieblich Gedeckt
SW
16
  Violone
30
8
  Violoncello
30

     

     
Couplers &c
    Swell to Choir 8', 4'       Swell to Pedal  
    Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'       Great to Pedal  
    Swell to Great 8', 4'       Choir to Pedal  
    Swell 16', 4'       Pedal Octaves  
    Swell Unison Off          
    Swell Tremulant       Choir Tremulant  
               
Accessories
    5 tabs over Swell:

 
CR
Reeds
ES
Strings
CE
Flutes
ND
Diaps
OFF
           
Organ in Chapel located on East 14th Street (1876-1896?):

Unknown


Information about the organ at this location has not yet been located.
           
Organ in Chapel located on East 14th Street (1861-burned 1872):

Levi U. Stuart
New York City (1861)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 23 stops


According to the American Musical Directory of 1861, this organ had "2 banks keys, 23 stops, 2 octaves pedals" and was "Built by L. U. Stuart, in 1861." The Ferris & Stuart company of New York City installed a "cheap but good" organ behind an old organ case that was originally built in Holland for the Old Middle Dutch Church on Nassau Street. When the Middle Church was sold to the U.S. government and converted to a post office, the case was moved to the Church of the Messiah ("Dr. Osgood's church") on Broadway. When the Church of the Messiah was purchased by A. T. Stewart and changed into the New-York Theatre, the organ case was presented by Mr. Stewart to the Grace Chapel Episcopal Free Church, also known as the Church of the Redemption. The organ case was of mahogany, brown and cracked by age that originally had columns with carvings of pipes and reeds. The organ burned with the church on December 24, 1872, when fire destroyed the adjacent P.T. Barnum Museum, along with its collection of wild animals kept in the rear stables.

Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.
           
Organ in Chapel located on Madison Avenue at East 28th Street (1850-1852)

Unknown


Information about the organ at this location has not yet been located.
           
Sources:
     American Musical Directory. New York: Thomas Hutchinson, 1861.
     Episcopal Diocese of New York Archives; Wayne H. Kempton, Archivist.
     Farnam, Lynnwood. "Organ Notebook," p. 1053. Specification of Skinner organ, Op. 151. John de Lancie Library, The Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia; Sally Branca, Archivist. Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
     Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
     "A New Grace Chapel Begun," The New York Times (June 19, 1894).
     "New-York Fires. A Million Dollars' Worth of Property in Flames," The New York Times (Dec. 25, 1872).
     "The Pew System. Consecration of Grace Chapel," The New York Times (Sep. 26, 1876).

Illustrations:
     American Architect and Building News (Aug. 1, 1896). Rendering of 1896 Grace Chapel and Mission House.
     Episcopal Diocese of New York Archives. 1898 photo of chapel interior.