Click images to enlarge Church of the Holy Name of Jesus (Roman Catholic) West 96th Street and Amsterdam New York, N.Y. 10025 Organ Specifications: ► IV/76 M.P. Möller, Op. 6570 (1937) • Müller & Abel (c.1900) • II/ Midmer-Losh (1928) – Lower Church • II/8 Frank Roosevelt, Op. 518 (1892) – Lower Church The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus was organized in 1868 in the area then known as Bloomingdale. A wood-frame church was erected on Bloomindale Road at what is now Broadway and 97th Street. Thomas H. Poole designed the present Gothic Revival church, located on the northwest corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 96th Street, which was built in stages from 1891 to 1900. The steeple was added in 1918. The large interior is noted for its hammer-and-beam ceiling, stained glass windows, terrazzo floor, and beautiful marble altars.     M.P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 6570 (1937) Electro-pneumatic action 4 manuals, 68 stops, 76 ranks The large Möller organ at Holy Name of Jesus Church was designed by Richard O. Whitelegg, in consultation with Albin D. McDermott, organist of the church. At the time of its installation, this organ was remarkable for its brilliance and clarity of ensembles, multiple mixture stops, an independent Pedal division, and fiery French chorus reeds. Whitelegg was given free reign to express his tonal ideals, perhaps in response to the similarly-sized Aeolian-Skinner organ designed in 1932 by G. Donald Harrison for the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Times Square. Whitelegg's only restriction was to retain several ranks from the previous Müller & Abel organ, all of which were revoiced, rescaled and extended for the new organ. Sadly, the organ has suffered both water and smoke damage, the latter from a devastating fire originating in the blower area c.1998. Many portions of this notable organ, including the Solo and Choir divisions and console, are not functioning properly or at all; hopefully, this Whitelegg masterpiece will someday be restored to its original glory.   Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes (3-3/4" pressure) 16   Diapason (1-12 *) 61 2 2/3   Quint 61 8   Diapason 61 2   Superoctave 61 8   Harmonic Flute 61   Cornet V ranks 269 8   Keraulophone 61   Mixture III ranks 183 4   Octave 61   Harmonics IV ranks 244 4   Hohl Flute * 61   Chimes SO       Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed (4½" and 6" pressure) 16   Bourdon * 73 2   Flageolet + 61 8   Diapason * 73     Plein-Jeu V ranks + 305 8   Stopped Flute * 73 16   Trumpet + 73 8   Gamba * 73 8   Trumpet + 73 8   Salicional * 73  8   Oboe + 73 8   Voix Celeste * 73 4   Clarion + 73 8   Aeoline * 73 8   Vox Humana * [sep. box & trem.] 73 4   Gemshorn 73     Tremolo   4   Flauto Traverso * + 73   + 6" pressure       Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed (5" pressure) 8   Diapason * 73 2 2/3   Lieblich Nasard 61 8   Spitz Flute * 73 2   Piccolo * 61 8   Concert Flute * 73     Sesquialtera II ranks 122 8   Unda Maris 73   Mixture III ranks 183 8   Dolce * 73 16   English Horn 73 4   Principal 73 8   Clarinet 73 4   Flute d'Amour * 73     Tremolo         Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed (10" pressure) 8   Gamba 73 8   French Horn 73 8   Gamba Celeste 73 8   Harmonic Trumpet 73 8   Doppel Flute * 73 8   Vox Humana 73 8   Viole Sourdine 73     Tremolo 8   Viole Sourdine Celeste 73   Chimes (Deagan) 21 tubes 4   Orchestral Flute 73           Pedal Organ – 32 notes (5" and 10" pressure) 32   Resultant Bass — 4   Super Octave * 32 16   Diapason * 32 4   Piccolo * — 16   Second Diapason GT   Sesquialtera II ranks 64 16   Bourdon [unit] * 56     Mixture III ranks 96 16   Lieblich Bourdon SW 16   Bombarde [unit] * # 56 10 2/3   Quint [orig. 16' Contra Bass] * 44 16   Double Trumpet SW 8   Octave 32 16   English Horn CH 8   Flute * — 8   Bombarde * — 8   Gedeckt SW 4   Clarion * — 8   Cello [Contra Bass] —     # 10" pressure             * from c.1900 Müller & Abel Organ                   Müller & Abel New York City (c.1900) The original organ for Holy Name of Jesus Church was built by Müller & Abel of New York City. Oscar Müller and George Abel, both German immigrants, were employed in the Roosevelt Organ Works of New York, Philadelphia and Boston, the preeminent organ builders from 1870 through 1893. When the Roosevelt firm ceased operations, Müller and Abel established their own factory in New York City, building sixty-two organs between 1893 and 1902. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Organ in the Lower Church: Midmer-Losh Merrick, N.Y. (1928) Electro-pneumatic action 2 manuals Details about this organ are not available, but it is possible that Midmer-Losh rebuilt the existing Roosevelt organ. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Organ in the Lower Church: Frank Roosevelt New York City – Opus 518 (1892) Mechanical action 2 manuals, 8 stops This organ was installed in the Lower Church. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.   Sources:      Barnes, William H. "Two Four-Manual Mollers: No. 1", article in the American Organist, 1938.      Dunlap, David W. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.      Roosevelt Organ Works Opus List, compiled by Sand Lawn; courtesy David Scribner.      Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications of M. P. Möller Organ, Op. 6570 (1937). Photos:      Steven E. Lawson   | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |