St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)

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St. Bartholomew's Church
(Episcopal)


Park Avenue at 51st Street
New York, N.Y. 10022
http://www.stbarts.org

Organ Specifications:
Park Avenue at 51st Street (since 1918):
V/225 Aeolian-Skinner Company, Op. 275 (1970-71)
IV/115 Ernest M. Skinner Company, Op. 275 (1917)
III/15 M.P. Möller, Inc., Op. 2424 (1917)
343 Madison Avenue at 44th Street (1872-1918):
IV/100 George S. Hutchings, Op. 402 (1893)
IV/57 George S. Hutchings, Op. 328 (1893) – Chancel
–/43 George S. Hutchings, Op. 329 (1893) – Gallery
III/46 J.H. & C.S. Odell, Op. 112 (1872)
Lafayette Place at Great Jones Street (1835-1872):
• Henry Erben (1839)

See also the Chapel Organ and Continuo organs.


St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, located from 1835-1872 on Lafayette Place and Great Jones Street - New York City  
Lafayette Place  
St. Bartholomew's Protestant Episcopal Church was founded in 1835, with the Rev. Charles Vernon Kelly serving as its first rector. In 1835-36 a church in neo-classical style with a Gothic or Regency spire was erected at a cost of $33,000 on Lafayette Place at Great Jones Street. It was a time of "unprecedented prosperity, when the price of land and the cost of building was at the peak." The Panic of 1837 brought an abrupt end to widespread speculation and inflated values. Due to the financial exingency throughout the country, St. Bartholomew's suffered financially, and Rev. Kelly resigned in 1838. For the next fifty years, the church struggled with inadequate finances despite having a communicant list that was larger than any other New York Episcopal church, including some of the wealthiest and most aristocratic families.

  St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, located from 1872-1918 on Madison Avenue and 44th Street - New York City
  Madison Ave./44th St.
Under the guidance of its third rector, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Cooke, the church removed uptown to the southwest corner of Madison Avenue and Forty-fourth Street. The land was purchased at a good price from the New York and Harlem Railroad, as arranged through the offices of William H. Vanderbilt, a parishioner. The second St. Bartholomew's Church was designed by James Renwick, Jr., of Renwick and Sands, whose previous commissions included the Smithsonian Institution Building, Grace Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral, and many mansions for wealthy New Yorkers. Renwick's plan for St. Bartholomew's was in a quasi-Lombardic style, built of solid granite and including a tall campanile at the corner. There was a frontage of 70 feet on Madison Avenue, and the church extended for 100 feet along Forty-fourth Street. The interior was divided into nave and two aisles, separated by twelve columns—six on each side—of Aberdeen granite of alternating red and gray colors. Above both aisles was a triforium arcade, from which slendor convoluted arches rose to become rib vaulting for the ceiling that was fifty feet above the floor. Large ornamental standards of bronze and wall brackets contained gas jets for illumination, and the church had the latest heating and ventilation system. The church complex, which included a rectory and school, was built from 1872 to 1876 at a cost of $228,584.

St. Bartholomew's Church (c.1928) - New York City  
In 1888, the Rev. David H. Greer became rector of St. Bartholomew's. Rev. Greer led his new congregation to fight elitism and become an "institutional parish" that provides social services in addition to worship and instruction. Under Greer's leadership, the church opened six Sunday schools in five languages, established a Rescue Mission at 116 East 42nd Street, and had built a large Parish House and Medical Clinic, at 205-208 East 42nd Street, to serve the lower middle class. The Vanderbilt family was especially generous in their support of these community projects.

From 1902 to 1903, an elaborate portal designed by Stanford White was added, given by Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt and children as a memorial to Cornelius Vanderbilt, who had died in 1899. The Lombardic-Romanesque portal was inspired by the abbey of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard in Provence.

In 1904, the Rev. Dr. Leighton Parks became rector of St. Bartholomew's, coming from Emmanuel Church in Boston. Parks espoused the ministry of beauty which included architecture and great music. In 1905, he convinced Leopold Stokowski to move from London to become choirmaster and organist at St. Bartholomew's. Stokowski left in 1908, and was succeeded by Arthur S. Hyde, a student of Charles-Marie Widor. As Grand Central Terminal was built atop Park Avenue between 1908 and 1913, Dr. Parks saw the opportunity to build a great urban church in a commanding location; he then preached to his congregation that they should give "a great gift of beauty to the city." Although it is not believed that Parks had previous experience with building churches, he had definite ideas about appropriate church architectural styles. To Parks, the Gothic cathedral style was best suited for non-participatory worship where the people were separated from and could not see the priest, while the Romanesque style gathered the people under a unifying dome "to see and hear and participate in the service."

  Bertram Goodhue proposal (1916) for St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City
In May 1914, the vestry was authorized to purchase (for $1.4 million) an irregularly-shaped lot on the east side of Park Avenue, between 50th and 51st Streets, that was formerly occupied by the Schaefer Brewing Company. The Arts Committee, headed by Alvin Krech, one of the most prominent members of the vestry, recommended that Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue receive the commission to design the new church. Alice Vanderbilt offered to pay for moving her husband's memorial to the new location, and Goodhue used the Stanford White portal as the basis of his design. The rector wanted a large non-Gothic building that could seat 1,500 people (400 more than the old church), and the vestry wished to finance the land and building with proceeds from the sale of the Madison Avenue property and a portion of the Park Avenue lot. After reviewing several schemes, the committee selected Goodhue's plans for a grand domed edifice in a Byzantine-Romanesque style that was inspired by San Marco in Venice. Goodhue assured the vestry that the steel-framed design could be built for $500,000, although his recently-completed all-stone St. Thomas Church had cost $1.1 million. Starting in 1915, the Park Avenue lot was cleared, contracts were signed, and on May 1, 1917 the cornerstone of the third St. Bartholomew's Church was laid by Bishop David Hummel Greer. By September of that year, the church has spent $280,000 on the building and it was estimated that another $1 million would be needed due to increased costs for material and labor. Goodhue's scheme was truncated, much of the decoration was deleted, and it was decided to temporarily abandon construction of the dome and cloister. Goodhue was asked if he could reuse the pews from the old church, saving the cost of new ones. Many other materials and furnishings from the old building were modified and reused, including some stained glass, the marble paving, chancel rail, choir stalls, the painting over the altar, and the reredos. By the Fall of 1918, the unfinished church could be used, although the exterior on the north side was incomplete, the large Skinner pipe organ was still being installed in the gallery, and burlap and felt covered the walls that would eventually be tiled or otherwise decorated. Finally, on October 20, 1918, the first service in the new church took place before a large congregation.

St. Bartholomew's Church (c.1928) - New York City  
The next year would see the opening of the adjacent Parish House on December 21, 1918, and the landscaping of the garden. By March 1922, Goodhue, concerned that the church was "in some ways a good deal of a barn and, with the exception of the Chapel, doesn't redound at all to my credit," was urging the Building Committee to take action regarding the completion of the interior. The vestry, however, continued its policy that the indebtedness of the church be removed before further work would be undertaken. In April 1923 the $155,000 needed to eliminate the debt was raised, and on May 1, 1923, the church was consecrated. A year later, on April 23, 1924, Bertram Goodhue died, and seven months later, Dr. Parks resigned from his post as rector.

Under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Robert Norwood, successor to Dr. Parks, the church found a renewed enthusiasm to complete and decorate the church. Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue Associates, successor firm to Bertram Goodhue, renegotiated the unfinished contracts and prepared sketches for a Community House. Goodhue's unrealized designs for the interior were reexamined and Alvin Krech, chair of the Art Committee, prepared a report that recommended the use of Byzantine elements, including the mosaics in the apse. At the wish of parishioners—but in contrast to Goodhue's scheme—stained glass replaced the clear or tinted windows and greatly darkened the interior. The new Community House, dedicated on November 29, 1927, was financed and furnished from the $1.6 million sale of the old Parish House on 42nd Street. The five-story building included an auditorium, gymnasium, swimming pool, club rooms, parlours, and a small grill. Finally, the dome and celestial organ were completed at a cost of $750,000 and dedicated on December 9, 1930. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the church in 1967.

In 1981, a real estate developer offered a plan to build an office tower on the site of the adjacent community house, ensuring a financial endowment of the church's mission and maintenance. Conflict developed within the parish and between the church and the city over the designated landmark status of the building. In the ensuing years of battle, St. Bart’s became synonymous with the very real issues between the religious community and the historic preservation movement, and with the attendant constitutional questions. The case tortuously worked its way, over eleven years, to the Supreme Court, which in 1991 declined to hear St. Bartholomew’s appeal of the Second Circuit decision. The congregation paid a heavy price for the battle: half the membership left, and charity and relationships were strained. The existing financial problems deepened, and maintenance on the building was deferred. Over time, and under the leadership of the Rev. William Tully, rector, the church has rebounded and is once again a strong and vibrant sacred institution in the city.
             

  2006 Console of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
 
2006 Harris Console
  1953 Console of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
 
Aeolian-Skinner Console in 2003
  1953 Console of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: The American Organist)
 
1953 Aeolian-Skinner Console
Aeolian-Skinner Company, Inc.
Boston, Mass. – Opus 275-E/F (1970-71)
Electro-pneumatic action
5 manuals, 163 stops, 225 ranks, 12,422 pipes


In 1927, the enlargement of the 1917 Ernest M. Skinner organ began. First, the Solo was revised and transferred to the chancel, and other tonal changes were made. A fifth manual was fitted into the console in preparation for the addition of the Celestial divisions, which were completed in 1930 and installed in the dome 110 feet above the crossing. The gallery divisions were replaced by Aeolian-Skinner of Boston in 1937 (Opus 275-A), and included a six-stop Positiv (later removed in 1953) with specifications and finishing by G. Donald Harrison.

Chancel Positiv of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)  
Chancel Positiv at Upper Right
 
The chancel divisions were revised in 1953 and a small new Positiv was added in the chancel. The five-manual console was installed in the south chancel bay, and the Trompette en Chamade was installed in the west gallery in 1967 (Opus 275-D).

The last major rebuilding took place in 1970-71, when the gallery and celestial organs were cleaned and releathered (Opus 275-E), and new chests, structures, and many new pipes were made for the chancel divisions (Opus 275-F), and the entire instrument was refinished by Donald M. Gillett of Aeolian-Skinner. This was the final project completed by the Aeolian-Skinner Company, which ceased operations in 1972. The organ comprises 168 stops, 225 ranks, and 12,422 pipes, and is unchanged since 1971. It is the largest organ in New York City.

2006 Console of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Tim Martin)  
During the Spring of 2006, a new, movable five-manual and pedal console was installed. Custom built by Harris Organs, Inc. of Whittier, California and designed to harmonize visually with St. Bartholomew’s chancel furnishings, the new console incorporates many stylistic and dimensional elements common to consoles built by Aeolian-Skinner, while taking advantage of developments in electronic technology to offer organists vastly greater flexibility in controlling the tonal resources of this massive musical instrument. With its cabinetry of fumed solid quarter-sawn white oak and polished mahogany, the new console is a fitting addition to the architecture of the church.
               
2006 Console of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
2006 Console of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
2006 Console of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
               
               

CHANCEL ORGAN

               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  Violone
61
2 2/3
  Quinte
61
16
  Quintade
61
2
  Super Octave
61
8
  Principal
61
 
  Mixture IV-VI ranks
305
8
  Diapason
61
 
  Scharf IV ranks
244
8
  Viola da Gamba
61
 
  Kornett III-V ranks
274
8
  Flute harmonique
61
16
  Kontra Trompete
61
4
  Principal
61
8
  Trompete
61
4
  Spitzflöte
61
4
  Klarine
61

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Flûte conique
61
1 1/3
  Larigot
61
8
  Diapason
61
 
  Sept-Neuf II ranks
122
8
  Gambe Conique
61
 
  Sesquialtera II ranks
122
8
  Gambe Conique Celeste
61
 
  Plein Jeu IV ranks
244
8
  Flûte à Cheminée
61
 
  Cymbale IV ranks
244
8
  Flûte Celeste II ranks
61
16
  Contre Trompette
61
8
  Choeur des Violes IV ranks
232
8
  Trompette
61
4
  Montre
61
8
  Hautbois
61
4
  Principal Conique
61
4
  Clairon
61
4
  Flûte Harmonique
61
 
  Tremulant
2
  Octavin
61
 
 
Harp Celesta

49 bars

2
  Flûte Magique
61
 
 
Sub Celesta

     

     
Positiv Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
16
  Quintflöte
61
1 1/3
  Oktavquinte
61
8
  Prinzipal
61
1
  Sifflöte
61
8
  Spitzgedeckt
61
 
  Scharf IV-V ranks
281
4
  Octav
61
 
  Terzian II ranks
122
4
  Koppelflöte
61
 
  Zimbel II ranks
122
2 2/3
  Nasat
61
16
  Rankett
61
2
  Oktavlein
61
8
  Krummhorn
61
2
  Flachflöte
61
 
  Tremulant  
1 3/5
  Terz
61
 
     

     

     
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Dulciana
61
2 2/3
  Nazard
61
8
  Viola Pomposa
61
2
  Nachthorn
61
8
  Viola Celeste
61
1 3/5
  Tierce
61
8
  Dolcan
61
 
  Mixture V ranks
305
8
  Dolcan Celeste
61
16
  Dulzian
61
8
  Quintadena
61
8
  Petite Trompette
61
8
  Holzgedeckt
61
8
  Clarinet
61
4
  Prestant
61
4
  Oboe-Schalmey
61
4
  Rohrflöte
61
 
  Tremulant

     

     
Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Flauto Mirabilis
61
8
  Orchestral Oboe
61
8
  Geigen
61
8
  Trompette Harmonique
61
8
  Geigen Celeste
61
4
  Clairon harmonique
61
4
  Doppelflöte
61
  Tremulant  
8
  French Horn
61
 
 
Chimes

25 tubes

8
  English Horn
61
8
 
Trompette en Chamade

GAL GT

8
  Flugel Horn
61
 
     

     

     
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
  Untersatz [ext.]
12
4
  Nachthorn
32
16
  Prinzipal
32
2
  Blockflöte
32
16
  Holzflötenbass
32
64
  Grosskornet VII ranks
224
16
  Subbass
32
16
  Sesquialtera II ranks
64
16
  Gedeckt
32
 
  Mixtur IV ranks
128
16
  Violone
GT
 
  Scharf V ranks
160
16
  Dulciana
CH
32
  Bombarde [ext.]
12
16
  Quintade
GT
32
  Kontra Posaune [ext.]
12
16
  Flûte Conique
SW
32
  Kontra Fagott [ext.]
12
10 2/3
  Grossquinte
32
16
  Posaune
32
8
  Prinzipal
32
16
  Fagott
32
8
  Pommer Gedeckt
32
8
  Trompete
32
8
  Gemshorn
32
4
  Klarine
32
4
  Oktav
32
2
  Schalmei
32

     

     

CELESTIAL ORGAN (located in Dome)

     

     
Celestial Organ (Manual V) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Harmonic Flute
73
16
  Bombarde
73
8
  Flûte d'amour
73
16
  Corno di Bassetto
73
8
  Erzähler
73
8
  Cor de Gabriel
73
8
  Klein Erzähler [TC]
61
8
  Trompette harmonique
73
8
  Echo Dulcet II ranks
146
8
  Vox Humana
73
4
  Octave
73
4
  Clairon
73
4
  Flute
73
 
  Tremulant  

  Grande Fourniture VII ranks
427
 
 
Zymbelstern
8 bells

     

     
Celestial Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
  Diapason
32
8
  Octave [ext.]
12
16
  Dulciana
32
16
  Ophicleide
32

     

     

GALLERY ORGAN

     

     
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
16
  Quintaton
61
2 2/3
  Quinte
61
8
  Principal
61
2
  Super Octave
61
8
  Gedeckt
61
2
  Blockflöte
61
8
  Spitzflöte
61
 
  Fourniture IV ranks
244
4
  Octave
61
 
  Cymbel III ranks
183
4
  Rohrflöte
61
8
  Trompette en Chamade
61

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Gemshorn
73
 
  Sesquialtera II ranks
122
8
  Geigen
73
 
  Plein Jeu III ranks
183
8
  Gedeckt
73
 
  Cymbel III ranks
183
8
  Viole de Gambe
73
16
  Bombarde
73
8
  Viole Celeste
73
8
  Trumpet
73
4
  Octave
73
8
  Trompette
73
4
  Flute
73
4
  Clairon
73
2
  Super Octave
61
 
  Tremulant  

     

     
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
32
  Open Bass
32
4
  Nachthorn
32
16
  Principal
32
2
  Blockflöte
32
16
  Bourdon
32
 
  Mixture III ranks
96
16
  Gemshorn
SW
 
  Cymbel II ranks
64
8
  Principal
32
16
  Posaune
32
8
  Gedeckt Pommer
32
8
  Trumpet [ext.]
12
8
  Gemshorn
SW
4
  Clarion [ext.]
12
4
  Choralbass
32
 
     
               
Chancel Organ of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
Gallery Organ of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
Chancel Organ
Gallery Organ & Trompette en Chamade
2006 Console of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Tim Martin)
Dome Location of Celestial Division of Aeolian-Skinner Organ, Op. 275-E/F (1970-71) at St. Bartholomew's Church - New York City (photo: Steven E. Lawson)
2006 Console in Concert Position
Celestial Organ in Dome

             

  E.M. Skinner Organ, Op. 275 (1917) at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church - New York City (Lynnwood Farnam; courtesy The Curtis Institute of Music)
Ernest M. Skinner Company
Boston, Mass. – Opus 275 (1917)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals, 117 stops, 115 ranks, 7,587 pipes


The original four-manual organ of the present church was installed in the chancel and west gallery in 1918 by Ernest M. Skinner of Boston (Opus 275) and incorporated many ranks from instruments in the previous church by George S. Hutchings of Boston (1893, Opus 402) and by J.H. and C.S. Odell of New York City (1872, Opus 112). Skinner had been closely associated in the building of the earlier Hutchings organ; this organ used a new type of mechanism with electro-pneumatic Pitman chests, which had been perfected by Skinner. This new mechanism allowed divisions to be installed in both the chancel and gallery, all controlled by electric action from a movable four-manual console in the chancel. Skinner's 1918 organ for the new church had nine divisions, all playable from a four-manual console in the chancel. The photo of the Skinner console (above) was included in one of the "Organ Notebooks" kept by Lynnwood Farnam, noted concert organist of the early 20th century.
               

CHANCEL ORGAN

               
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  Diapason
61
4
  Octave
61
8
  First Diapason
61
4
  Flute Traverso
61
8
  Second Diapason
61
2 2/3
  Quint
61
8
  Doppelflote
61
2
  Fifteenth
61
8
  Concert Flute
61
 
  Mixture IV ranks
244
8
  Gamba
61
8
  Trumpet
61

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Bourdon
73
4
  Flute Harmonique
73
8
  Diapason
73
2
  Piccolo
61
8
  Stopped Diapason
73
 
  Mixture V ranks
305
8
  Gemshorn
73
16
  Contra Fagotto
73
8
  Quintadena
73
 8
  Cornopean
73
8
  Salicional
73
8
  Oboe
73
8
  Voix Celestes
73
8
  Vox Humana
73
8
  Aeoline
73
4
  Clarion
73
4
  Octave
73
  Tremolo  
4
  Salicet
73
 
   

     

     
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Dulciana
73
4
  Gemshorn
73
8
  Geigen Principal
73
2
  Piccolo
61
8
  Diapason
73
8
  Clarinet
73
8
  Gedeckt
73
8
  Orchestral Oboe
73
8
  Clarabella
73
  Tremolo  
8
  Dulciana
73
 
Celesta

61 bars

4
  Wald Flute
73
  Celesta Sub  

     

     
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
  Diapason
32
8
  Flute [ext.]
12
16
  Bourdon
32
8
  Cello [ext.]
12
16
  Violone
32
16
  Trombone
32
10 2/3
  Quint
8
  Tromba [ext.]
12
8
  Octave [ext.]
12
 
     

     

     

GALLERY ORGAN

     

     
Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
  Diapason
61
4
  Flute Harmonique
61
8
  Diapason
61
2 2/3
  Twelfth
61
8
  Violin Diapason
61
2
  Fifteenth
61
8
  Horn Diapason
61
 
  Mixture IV ranks
244
8
  Melodia
61
 
  Mixture V ranks
305
8
  Rohr Flute
61
16
  Ophicleide
61
8
  Gamba
61
8
  Trumpet [ext.]
12
4
  Octave
61
4
  Clarion [ext.]
12
4
  Fugara
61
     

     

     
Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
16
  Bourdon
73
4
  Octave
73
8
  Diapason [large]
73
4
  Flute d'Amour
73
8
  Diapason
73
2
  Flautino
61
8
  Stopped Diapason
73
  Dolce Cornet V ranks
305
8
  Gross Flute
73
16
  Posaune
73
8
  Spitz Flute
73
8
  Trumpet Harmonique
73
8
  Salicional
73
8
  Cor Anglais
73
8
  Voix Celestes
73
8
  Vox Humana
73
8
  Dolce
73
4
  Clarion
73
8
  Unda Maris [TC]
61
  Tremolo  
               
Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
8
  Diapason
73
4
  Octave
73
8
  Clarabella
73
4
  Flute [wood]
73
8
  Keraulophon
73
2
  Piccolo
61
8