Click on images to enlarge Church of St. John the Baptist (Roman Catholic) 207 West 30th Street New York, N.Y. 10001 Organ Specifications: 207 West 30th Street (since 1872) ► V/86 Church Organ Systems electronic ► III/24 J.H. & C.S. Odell, Op. 546 (1922) – burned 1997 • unknown (c.1872) 125 West 30th Street (c.1847-1872) • II/28 Ferris & Stuart (1852) West 31st Street (1840-burned 1847) • Henry Erben & Co. (1837) The Roman Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist was organized in 1840 as the second parish to serve German Catholics in New York. (St. Nicholas Church, on the Lower East Side, was established in 1833.) Located on the West side of Manhattan, the original church was a small wooden building on West 31st Street; this church was destroyed by fire in 1847. A new church was built at 125 West 30th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Both German churches had lay trustees that were so overbearing that they drove out several pastors. In desperation, Archbishop John Cardinal McClosky closed St. John the Baptist in 1870 and asked that the Order of Capuchin take over the operations of the church. The first Capuchin pastor, Swiss-born Father Bonventura Frey, proved to be well-liked by his new congregation, and within a short time old animosities had abated. Father Frey challenged his German flock to express their ethnic and civic pride by building a more substantial edifice. His goal revitalized the parish, and on Pentecost Sunday, June 4, 1871, the cornerstone was laid for the present church. Designed in French Gothic style by Nicholas Le Brun, the new church was 165 feet long by 67 feet wide and could originally accomodate 1,200 people. The tall tower over the main entrance contains five swinging bells that were cast by the J.G. Stuckstede & Bro. Foundry in St. Louis. On June 23, 1872, the $175,000 church was opened with an elaborate service led by Archbishop McClosky. Since the opening in 1910 of nearby Pennsylvania Station, St. John the Baptist has served the many commuters who pass through or work near the area. On January 10, 1997, a fire destroyed the organ, choir gallery and numerous statues and stained-glass windows. The damage was soon repaired and a new electronic organ was installed. Now dwarfed by hi-rise office buildings, the church's bells still peal forth from its tower each day.             Church Organ Systems Baldwin, Wisc. – Baldwin Model C500 (c.1997) Electronic tonal production 5 manuals, 86 stops Following the 1997 fire that destroyed the Odell organ and choir gallery, an electronic instrument by Church Organ Systems was installed in the rebuilt gallery. The five-manual drawknob console controls six independent divisions without couplers. Audio speakers are placed behind the restored organ case and within the console.         Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 16   Principal 2   Super Octave 8   Principal   Cornet V ranks 8   Bourdon   Fourniture VI ranks 8   Flute Celeste II ranks   Mixture IV ranks 8   Salicional 8   Trumpet 4   Octave 4   Trumpet 4   Rohr Flöte   Chimes 2 2/3   Nazard             Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, expressive 16   Lieblich Gedeckt 2   Flautino 8   Principal 1 1/3   Larigot 8   Gedeckt   Plein Jeu III ranks 8   Viole 16   Contra Fagott 8   Viole Celeste II ranks 8   Trompette 4   Geigen 8   Hautbois 4   Chimney Flute 4   Trompette 2 2/3   Nazard             Choir/Positiv Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, expressive 8   Principal 2 2/3   Quint 8   Hohl Flute 2   Doublette 8   Dulciana 1 3/5   Tierce 8   Unda Maris II ranks 1   Sifflöte 4   Principal   Mixture IV ranks 4   Stopped Flute 8   Cromorne         Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, expressive 8   Diapason 16   Basson 8   Major Flute 8   Tuba Mirabilis 8   Gamba 8   French Horn 8   Gamba Celeste II ranks 8   Cor Anglais 4   Orchestral Flute 8   Orchestral Oboe 4   Gemshorn 4   Tuba Clarion 2   Octavin   Harp         Echo Organ (Manual V) – 61 notes, expressive 16   Dulciana   Mixture III ranks 8   Cor de Nuit 16   Bombarde 8   Erzähler 8   Festival Trumpet 8   Erzähler Celeste II ranks 8   Bombarde 8   Echo Celeste II ranks 8   Vox Humana 4   Flauto d'Echo 4   Bombarde 4   Erzähler Celeste II ranks   Super 2   Flautino             Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Contra Bourdon 4   Flute 16   Principal 2   Block Flöte 16   Sub Bass   Fourniture V ranks 16   Lieblich Gedeckt 32   Contra Bombarde 16   Violone 16   Fagott 8   Octave 8   Trumpet 8   Gedeckt 4   Clarion 4   Super Octave 4   Schalmei             J.H. & C.S. Odell & Co. Yonkers, N.Y. – Opus 546 (1922) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 25 stops, 24 ranks In 1922, the Odell Company installed a new three-manual organ in the church. Odell remodeled and repainted the existing case and reset it approximately 2 feet closer to the tower room. The front display pipes were repaired, remodeled and gilded with gold bronze. In 1997, the organ and choir gallery were destroyed by fire.         Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 8   Major Diapason 73 4   Flute Harmonic 73 8   Gamba 73 4   Octave 73 8   Dulciana 73 8   Trumpet 73 8   Doppel Flute 73             Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon 73 4   Rohr Flute 73 8   Open Diapason 73 8   Oboe 73 8   Salicional 73 8   Vox Humana 61 8   Aeoline 73   Tremulant 8   Vox Celestis [TC] 61   Chimes 20 tubes 8   Stopped Diapason 73                 Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Violin Diapason 73 2   Piccolo Harmonic 61 8   Viol d'Orchestre 73 8   Clarinet 73 8   Melodia 73   Tremulant 4   Flute d'Amour 73                 Pedal Organ – 32 notes 16   Double Open Diapason 32 16   Bourdon SW 16   Sub Bass 32                     Couplers     Great to Pedal   Swell to Choir 8'     Swell to Pedal   Great 16', 4'     Choir to Pedal   Swell 16', 4'     Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Choir 16', 4'     Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'   Pedal to Pedal Octaves                 Piston Combinations     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 operating on all stops of Swell Organ     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 operating on all stops of Great Organ     Pistons No. 1-2-3 operating on all stops of Choir Organ     Pistons No. 1-2-3-0 adjustable to full organ combinations             Pedal Movements     Crescendo-Sforzando Pedal   Balanced Choir Pedal     Balanced Swell Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible                 Accessories     Wind Indicator               Crescendo Indicator               Indicator Lights for Pedal Pistons                 Organ in previous church located at 125 West 30th Street: Ferris & Stuart New York City (1852) Mechanical action 2 manuals, 28 ranks It may be that this organ was moved to the new church in 1872. Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.             Organ in previous church located at 125 West 30th Street: Henry Erben & Co. New York City (1837) Mechanical action Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.             Sources:      "A New Church. Dedication of the Roman Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist," The New York Times, June 24, 1872.      Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.      Gonzalez, David. "Church Fire Leaves Faith Unscathed," The New York Times, January 22, 1997.      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      Odell Opus List, compiled by Sand Lawn; courtesy David Scribner.      Saenger, James G. Information on the five tower bells.      Shelley, Thomas J. The Bicentennial History of the Archdiocese of New York 1808-2008. Strasbourg: Éditions du Signe, 2007.      Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications of J.H. & C.S. Odell Organ, Op. 546 (1922). Photos:      Lawson, Steven E.: interior; organ case.      Shelley, Thomas J. The Bicentennial History of the Archdiocese of New York 1808-2008: exterior.             NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organs List |