click on most images to enlarge Church of St. John Nepomucene (Roman Catholic) 411 East 66th Street at First Avenue New York, N.Y. 10121 http://www.stjohnnepomucene.org Organ Specifications: 411 East 66th Street at First Avenue (since 1925) ► III/22 Geo. Kilgen & Son, Op. 7763 (1956) • unknown (1925) 350 East 57th Street near First Avenue (1908-1925) • unknown 289 East 4th Street near Avenue C (1895-1908) • unknown   East 4th Street (1895-1908)   The first Slovak parish in New York was the Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, founded in 1891 and located on East 4th Street. Its pastor, Father Francis Dénes, tried to cater to both pro-Hungarian ("Magyarone") and anti-Hungarian Slovaks, but neither group was pleased. After a period of unrest in which small incidences could take on cosmic dimensions, Archbishop Corrigan allowed the Slovak nationalists to withdraw from the parish and organize the Church of St. John Nepomucene (Slovensky Kostol Sv. Jana Nepomuckeho) in a former synagogue a few doors away on the same street. The first Mass was offered on October 25, 1895, and the Rev. Francis Pribyl was the first Pastor. The life of the new Slovak Parish was beginning. New ventures are always beset with difficulties, and St. John's was no exception. The scattered groups that comprised the parish, the poverty of the newly arrived immigrants, and the difficulty of obtaining a resident Slovak-speaking priest, caused slow growth of St. John's. During the first 13 years over 15 priests served the parish.     East 57th Street (1908-1925) With the pastorate of the Rev. Anthony Berhely in 1908, the parish began to move forward. Seeing the need of a larger and more centrally-located church, Pastor Berhely led the parish to purchase a synagogue—the former home to Congregations Adath Israel and Shaarey Beracha—on East 57th Street and renovate it for use as a church. By the 1920s, the population was again moving further uptown and it seemed advisable to relocate the church. In addition, a larger church was needed. Property was purchased on First Avenue and 66th Street, and the present church, rectory, and school were built. Architect John V. Van Pelt designed the complex in the Romanesque style, mixing building materials randomly to create an unusual sense of antiquity. The new church was dedicated by Cardinal Hayes on May 30, 1925. During World War II, St. John’s had over 800 men serving in the Armed Forces. Immediately after the war, St.John’s became a center for the aid to Slovaks displaced by the war in Europe. The beauty of St. John’s Church was enhanced by a new marble altar and baldachinno erected in 1956. At the same time, a new organ was installed to improve the liturgical services. All this is a beautiful tribute to the deep faith and generosity of the thousands of the faithful who regarded St. John’s as their Parish and Monsignor Krasula as their pastor for 52 years. Today, St. John's Church is home to a variety of parishioners, and confessions are heard in Slovak, English, Polish, Italian, and Russian.   Geo. Kilgen & Son St. Louis, Mo. – Opus 7763 (1956) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 23 stops, 22 ranks The present organ in St. John's Church was built in 1956 by Geo. Kilgen & Son of St. Louis. All of the organ's pipes are enclosed in expression chambers behind an oak screen that contains three flats (7-5-7) of non-speaking display pipes. A detached three-manual stop-key console controls the organ. After more than fifty years of service, the organ is being cleaned and refurbished by Meloni & Farrier of Port Chester, N.Y. This work, scheduled for completion in the summer of 2009, will include the addition of a solid state combination action.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Diapason 61 4   Principal 61 8   Hohl Flute 61 2 2/3   Twelfth 61 8   Gemshorn 61 2   Fifteenth 61             Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Geigen Diapason 73 4   Harmonic Flute 73 8   Rohr Flote 73   Plein Jeu III ranks 183 8   Viole de Gambe 73 8   Oboe 73 8   Viole Celeste 73   Tremolo             Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 8   Concert Flute 73 4   Zart Floete 61 8   Dulciana 73 2 2/3   Nazard * [plays at 2' pitch] 61 8   Unda Maris [TC] 61     Tremolo             Pedal Organ – 32 notes 16   Major Bass 32 8   Bass Flute [Bourdon] — 16   Bourdon [unit] 56 4   Block Floete [Bourdon] — 16   Rohr Bourdon [ext. SW] 12                     Couplers     Great to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'     Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Great 16', Unison Off, 4'     Choir to Pedal 8'   Swell 16', Unison Off, 4'     Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Choir 16', Unison Off, 4'     Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'                     Adjustable Combinations (hold and set)     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-0 affecting Great and Pedal stops     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-0 affecting Swell and Pedal stops     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-0 affecting Choir and Pedal stops     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5 affecting Full Organ     General Cancellor       Pedal Cancel                   Pedal Movements     Great Expression Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible     Swell Expression Pedal   Sforzando Reversible     Choir Expression Pedal         Crescendo Pedal       Sources:      Dunlap, David W. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.      St. John Nepomucene website: http://www.stjohnnepomucene.org      Shelley, Thomas J. The Bicentennial History of the Archdiocese of New York 1808-2008. Strasbourg: Éditions du Signe, 2007. Photos:      Lawson, Steven E.: exterior; facade of Geo. Kilgen & Son organ, Op. 7763 (1956).      St. John Nepomucene website: 4th Street church; 57th Street church; exterior and interior of present church.   | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |