Click on most images to enlarge Church of the Holy Cross (Roman Catholic) 329 West 42nd Street New York, N.Y. 10036 http://holycrossnyc.com Organ Specifications: ► III/29 Aeolian-Skinner Organ Co, Op. 908-A (1941) ► II/31 J.H. & C.S. Odell, Op. 191 (1882) • I/12s Hall & Labagh (1854) Founded in 1852, the Church of the Holy Cross built a wodden church at the present location on West 42nd Street. In 1867, the church was struck by lightning and damaged by the resulting fire. An inspection of the church by architects and builders determined that the walls had not been properly constructed and were in danger of collapsing, so plans were made to build a new church. The present Romanesque edifice, as completed in 1870 to designs of Henry Engelbert, is a spacious, cruciform building. The depth is 100 feet and the width 82 feet, expanding to 92 feet in the transepts. Over the intersection of the nave and transept rise a cupola, intended to light the sanctuary and nave. This is a lofty dome on a square base, gradually running into the octagon form, and finishing with a lantern semi-circular in the ceiling and 112 feet from the church-floor. The whole height from the street curb to the top of the cross surmounting the dome is 148 feet. A spacious interior and galleries on three sides provides seating for about 1,800 people. In 1885, the church was extended by 25 feet when Lawrence J. O'Connor designed and built an apse that contains a circular sanctuary with semi-dome, lighted by nine windows in the upper part. For many years, Holy Cross was the pulpit of Father Francis P. Duffy, who served as chaplain to the primarily Irish-American 69th Regiment in World War I, and for whom Duffy Square, at Broadway and 46th Street, is named.                 Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company, Inc. Boston, Mass. – Opus 908 (1933); Opus 908-A (1941) Electro-pneumatic key and stop action 3 manuals, 25 registers, 29 ranks, 1,915 pipes The Aeolian-Skinner organ in the rear gallery of the Church of the Holy Cross was installed in 1933. Aeolian-Skinner returned in 1934 to alter the casework, and in 1941 to add a set of chimes.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 16   Flute Conique 61 4   Principal 61 8   Diapason 61     Grave Mixture II ranks 122 8   Harmonic Flute 61     Chimes [added 1941 as Op. 908-A] 8   Gemshorn 61                     Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Geigen Diapason 73 16   Waldhorn preparation 8   Rohrflöte 73 8   Trumpet 73 8   Salicional 73 8   Corno d'Amore 73 8   Voix Celeste [TC] 61 8   Vox Humana 73 8   Aeoline 73 4   Clarion 73 4   Flute Triangulaire 73     Tremolo       Mixture IV ranks 244                     Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Concert Flute 73 4   Flute d'Amour 73 8   Viola 73 8   Clarinet 73 8   Klein Erzahler 73     Tremulant   8   Klein Erzahler Celeste [TC] 61                     Pedal Organ – 32 notes 16   Diapason 32 8   Diapason [ext.] 12 16   Bourdon 32 8   Bourdon [ext.] 12 16   Flute Conique GT 16   Waldhorn SW                 Previous organ in present building: J.H. & C.S. Odell New York City – Op. 191 (1882) Mechanical action 2 manuals, 26 stops, 31 ranks In 1882, the J.H. & C.S. Odell Company built a large two-manual organ for Holy Cross Church. The organ had a case of ash with decorated display pipes.                 Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 58 4   Flute Harmonique 58 8   Open Diapason 58 2 2/3   Twelfth 58 8   Gamba 58 2   Fifteenth 58 8   Melodia [large scale] 58     Mixture, 4 ranks 232 8   Dolce 58 8   Trumpet 58 4   Principal 58 4   Clarion 58             Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 58 2   Flageolet 58 8   Geigen Principal 58     Cornet, 3 ranks 174 8   Salicional 58 8   Cornopean 58 8   Stopped Diapason 58 8   Oboe 58 4   Flute 58     Tremulant   4   Fugara 58                     Pedal Organ – 30 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 30 8   Violoncello 30 16   Bourdon 30 16   Trombone 30                 Couplers     Pedal to Great       Swell to Great       Pedal to Swell                           Combinations 1.   Full Great 2.   Full Great less Double Open, Trumpet and Clarion 3.   Great Gamba, Melodia, Dolce, Principal 4.   Full Swell 5.   Swell Salicional, Stopped Diapason, Flute 6.   Full Pedal 7.   Pedal Bourdon, Violoncello 8.   Bellows Signal             Pedal Movements     Balance [sic] Swell Pedal                           Hall & Labagh New York City (1854) Mechanical action 1 manual, 12 stops The earliest known organ for Holy Cross Church was built by Hall & Labagh in 1854. It had one manual and two octaves of pedals. The organ was destroyed when the church burned after being struck by lightning in 1867. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.                 Sources:      Aeolian-Skinner Archives: http://aeolian-skinner.110mb.com/      Church of the Holy Cross website: http://holycrossnyc.com      "Dedication of the Catholic Church of the Holy Cross—Sermon by the Very Rev. Dr. Starrs, V.G.," The New York Times, May 9, 1870.      Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.      Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List (New Revised Edition). Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash. Photos:      ChurchCrawler website: exterior, and interior with organ case.                 | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |