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Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew
(Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod)

178 Bennett Avenue at 189th Street
New York, N.Y. 10040
http://www.stmatthewnyc.org

Organ Specifications:
178 Bennett Avenue at 189th Street (since 2006)
• none
202 Sherman Avenue near 207th Street (1945-2006)
Second building (1956-2006)
► II/10 Schlicker Organ Company (1956)
First building (1945-1956) – orig. Messiah Lutheran Mission
• II/3 Wicks Organ Company, Op. 1646 (1937)
421 West 145th Street Convent Avenue (1906-1944)
► II/9 Skinner Organ Company, Op. 526 (1925)
354 Broome Street at Elizabeth Street (1868-1913) – orig. First Baptist Church
► II/25 Baumgarten Company (1869)
Walker Street at Courtland Alley (1826-1868)
• unknown
Frankfort and Williams Streets (1784-1826) – merged with Christ Church; renamed St. Matthew
• Hall & Erben (1824)
Broadway and Rector Street (1671-1776) – known as Trinity Church
Third building (1729-burned 1776)
• John Geib?
Second building (1673-1729)
• unknown if any
First building (1671-1673)
• unknown if any

               
  Schlicker Organ (1956) in St. Matthew Lutheran Church - New York City (photo: Elsener Organ Works)
   
  Schlicker Organ (1956) in St. Matthew Lutheran Church - New York City (photo: Elsener Organ Works)
Organ in church located at 202 Sherman Avenue:

Schlicker Organ Company
Buffalo, N.Y. (1956)
Electric slider action
2 manuals, 34 stops, 10 ranks


For their new building on Sherman Avenue, the church contracted with the Schlicker Organ Company to build a new organ. Installed in 1956, the organ was completely unenclosed and had ten unifited ranks controlled by a two-manual rocker-tablet console. The organ cost $10,000 and was the gift of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Eldelmann, in memory of her mother.

When the church (along with the whole block) was slated to be closed and torn down, the organ was sold in 2006 to Trinity Lutheran Church in the Bronx. Elsener Organ Works of Deer Park, N.Y., moved and reinstalled the organ.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes
16
 Viola [TC]  
2
 Principal  
8
 Principal  
2
 Rohrfloete  
8
 Gedeckt  
1 3/5
 Tierce  
8
 Salicional     Mixture III ranks  
4
 Octave  
8
 Schalmey  
4
 Gedeckt  
4
 Schalmey  
2 2/3
   Nasard          
         
Positiv Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
8
 Gedeckt  
2
 Salicet  
8
 Salicional  
1 3/5
 Tierce  
4
 Rohrfloete  
1 1/3
 Larigot  
4
 Violina  
1
 Siffloete  
2
 Principal     Tremolo  
 
Pedal Organ – 32 notes
16
 Bourdon  
2
 Rohrfloete  
8
 Principal  
1
 Siffloete  
8
 Gedeckt     Mixture II ranks  
8
 Salicional  
16
 Bassoon  
4
 Octave  
8
 Schalmey  
4
 Gedeckt  
4
 Schalmey  
           
Adjustable Combinations (setterboard)
  Two blind general combination pistons with indicator lights above engaged stops
  Combination Release    
           
Stop Analysis
     
Pipes
16
  
Bourdon-Gedeckt
85
8
  
Principal
85
8
   Salicional
85
4
  
Rohrfloete
73
2 2/3
  
Nazard
61
1 3/5
  
Tierce
61
   
Mixture II-III ranks
171
16
   Bassoon-Schalmey
    85
   
Total
706
               
Organ in Messish Lutheran Mission located at 202 Sherman Avenue:

Wicks Organ Company
Highland, Ill. – Opus 1646 (1937)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 3 ranks


Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
               
Organ in church located at 421 West 145th Street at Convent Avenue:

Skinner Organ Company
Boston, Mass. – Opus 526 (1925)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 16 stops, 9 ranks, 604 pipes


The following information is taken from the Factory Specifications (July 16, 1925).
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes (6" pressure)
8
   Diapason
61
4
   Flute
SW
8
   Gedeckt
SW
8
   Corno d'Amore
SW
8
   Flauto Dolce
SW
        
               
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed (6" pressure)
16
   Bourdon
73
8
   Flute Celeste [TC]
61
8
   Gedeckt
73
4
   Flute
73
8
   Salicional
73
8
   Corno d'Amore
73
8
   Flauto Dolce
73
     Tremolo  
               
Pedal Organ – 32 notes (6" pressure)
16
   Bourdon
44
8
   Gedeckt [ext.]
—
16
   Echo Bourdon
SW
8
   Still Gedeckt
SW
               
Couplers
    Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Great to Great 4'
    Great to Pedal 8'   Swell to Swell 16', 4'
    Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'    
               
Adjustable Combinations
   
Swell Organ Pistons 1-2-3-4
Great Organ Pistons 1-2-3
Pedal Organ Pistons 1-2
  General Cancel Piston
               
Mechanicals
    Swell Expression Pedal      
    Crescendo Pedal with Indicator      
    Sforzando Pedal, reversible, and with Indicator      
    Great to Pedal, reversible      
             
Organ in church located at 354 Broome Street at Elizabeth Street:

Baumgarten Company
New Haven, Conn. (1869)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 21 stops, 25 ranks


For their new church building on Broome Street, an organ was built in 1869 by the Baumgarten Company of New Haven, Conn., at a cost of $5,700. On Thursday, June 24, 1869, the organ was exhibited with "a grand organ and vocal concert" performed by organists John Zundel (Plymouth Church, Brooklyn), Mr. F.A. Apelles (Baptist Church, Elizabeth City, N.J.), and Mr. G. Schmitz ("the Catholic Cathedral on Mulberry-street"). Organ solos were interspersed with sacred arias performed by several vocalists. The evening concluded with the audience singing the first two verses of Ein' feste Burg, accompanied by Mr. S. Reide, organist of the church.

The following specifications were recorded by Samuel P. Warren (1841-1915), a renowned concert organist of Brooklyn and New York City.
               
Great Organ (Manual I) – 58 notes
8
 Open Diapason
58
4
 Flute
58
8
 Viola di Gamba
58
2 2/3
 Twelfth
58
8
 Doppel Flute
58
2
 Fifteenth
58
8
 Melodia
58
   Mixture, 3 ranks
174
4
 Principal
58
8
 Trumpet
58
         
Swell Organ (Manual II) – 58 notes, enclosed
16
 Bourdon Bass
12
4
 Flauto Traverso
58
16
 Bourdon Treble [TC]
46
2
 Piccolo
58
8
 Open Diapason
58
   Mixture, 3 ranks
174
8
 Salicional
58
8
 Oboe
58
8
 Stopped Diapason
58
      
 
Pedal Organ – 27 notes
16
 Open Diapason
27
8
 Violoncello
27
16
 Bourdon
27
      
           
Couplers &c
  Swell to Great Swell Tremulant
  Great to Pedal [Bellows Signal]
  Swell to Pedal Swell Pedal
             
Organ in church located on Walker Street:

Unknown


Information about an organ in the church on Walker Street has not yet been located.
             
Organ in church located at Frankfort and Williams Streets:

Henry Erben
New York City (1824)
Mechanical action


Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
             
Organ in church located on Broadway:

John Geib?
New York City
Mechanical action


Specifications for this organ have not yet been located.
               
Sources:
     Aeolian-Skinner Archives web site: http://aeolianskinner.organsociety.org/Specs/Op00526.html
     "Church is Rededicated," The New York Times (May 18, 1942).
     "Church Organ Exhibition," The New York Times (Jun. 26, 1869).
     "City Lutherans To Mark Freedom," The New York Times (Dec. 5, 1964).
     Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
     Elsener Organ Works web site: http://www.elsenerorganworks.com: Stoplist of Schlicker Organ (1956).
     Fox, David H. A Guide to North American Organbuilders (Rev. ed.). Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
     Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List (New Revised Edition). Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
     "Lutheran Church in New Home Here," The New York Times (Jul. 8, 1944).
     "Lutheran Church to Expand," The New York Times (Mar. 28, 1955).
     "Must Leave Its Old Church," The New York Times (Feb. 25, 1894).
     "New Church Started," The New York Times (May 28, 1956).
     St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church web site: http://www.stmatthewnyc.org.
     "St. Matthew's, First Lutheran Church Here, Marks 270th Anniversary of Its Founding," The New York Times (Nov. 12, 1934).
     Samuel P. Warren Collection, Library of Congress. Specifications of Baumgarten Co. organ (1869). Courtesy James Lewis.
     Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications (July 16, 1925) of Skinner Organ Co. organ, Op. 526.
     Webber, F.R. "Organ Scrapbook" in Organ Historical Society Archives, Princeton, N.J. Specifications of Skinner organ, Op. 526 (1925). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen.
     Wenner, George U. The Lutherans of New York: Their Story and Their Problems. New York: The Petersfield Press, 1918.

Illustrations:
     eBay.com. Postcard (1900) of Broome Street church.
     Elsener Organ Works web site. Console and pipes of Schlicker Organ (1956).
     The New York Times (Feb. 25, 1894). Drawing of Walker Street church.
     Sperr, Percy Loomis. Photo (1934) of 145th Street church.
     Wenner, George U. The Lutherans of New York: Their Story and Their Problems. Drawings of "Old Swamp Church" and Trinity Church (Broadway & Rector).