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| Town Hall was built between 1919-21 as designed by Teunis J. van der Bent of McKim, Mead & White. The League for Political Education, who were energetic suffragists campaigning for the 19th Amendment (women's right to vote), created a meeting hall which would serve as forum for its members, and as a venue for educating the public on important issues of the times. The Colonial Revival-style auditorium democratically eliminated box seats, and there were no columns to obstruct sight lines, giving birth to the phrase, "Not a bad seat in the house." The 19th Amendment was passed during completion of the building, which opened on January 12, 1921. Almost immediately after its opening, the hall was in demand for concerts and theatrical events. Lectures and speaking engagements were given by prominent figures of the times, including Theodore Roosevelt, Booker T. Washington, Margaret Sanger, Buckminster Fuller, Winston Churchill, and Woodrow Wilson. Town Hall is also known for the American Town Meetings of the Air radio program broadcast during the 30s, 40s and 50s; the many historic lectures and debates; and innumerable memorable performances by classical, jazz and popular artists. The Town Hall Endowment Series featured artists including Sergei
Rachmaninoff, Ignace Paderwaski, Lily Pons, Fedor Chaliapin, Yehudi Menuhin, and
more. The hall's superb acoustics attracted many artists to make their New York debut on its stage, including Marian Anderson, contralto, who made her New York debut here on December 30, 1935,
after being denied an operatic career elsewhere because of discrimination
against African-Americans.
Town Hall was designated a Landmark by the Landmarks Preservation Comission of New York City. |
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Skinner Organ Co.
Boston, Mass. – Opus 434 (1923)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals, 48 stops, 44 ranks, 2,865 pipes
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| Lynnwood Farnam at Town Hall |
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An article in The New York Times on December 29, 1922, announced that "James Speyer had donated an organ as a memorial to Mrs. Ellin Speyer, his wife. According to Arthur Hudson Marks, President of the firm which will build and install the $35,000 organ, it will be among the finest in the country."
The organ was to contain 2,913 pipes, have four keyboards with complete mechanical equipment for recitals. "In addition to the traidtion organ tone, Mr. Speyer's gift will have many of the voices of an orchestra, such as the bassoon, oboe, tuba, harp, flute and French horn."
Ernest Skinner's organ in Town Hall was completely overhauled by G. Donald Harrison of the Aeolian-Skinner Organ Company in 1935. At some point, the organ fell into disuse and was broken up for parts.
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Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes
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16 |
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Violone |
61 |
4 |
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Octave |
61 |
8 |
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Diapason |
61 |
4 |
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Flute |
61 |
8 |
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Claribel Flute |
61 |
2 |
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Fifteenth |
61 |
8 |
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Chimney Flute |
61 |
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Mixture III ranks |
183 |
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Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed
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16 |
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Bourdon |
73 |
4 |
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Violin |
73 |
8 |
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Diapason |
73 |
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Mixture III ranks |
183 |
8 |
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Gedeckt |
73 |
16 |
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Fagotto |
73 |
8 |
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Gamba |
73 |
8 |
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Trumpet |
73 |
8 |
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Salicional |
73 |
8 |
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Corno d'Amore |
73 |
8 |
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Voix Celeste |
73 |
8 |
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Vox Humana |
73 |
8 |
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Flute Celeste II |
73 |
4 |
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Clarion |
73 |
4 |
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Flute |
73 |
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Tremolo |
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Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Concert Flute |
73 |
1 3/5 |
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Tierce |
61 |
8 |
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Gamba |
73 |
8 |
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Corno di Bassetto |
73 |
4 |
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Flute |
73 |
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Tremolo |
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2 2/3 |
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Nazard |
61 |
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Harp |
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2 |
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Piccolo |
61 |
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Celesta |
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Solo Organ (Manual IV) – 61 notes, enclosed
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8 |
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Cello |
73 |
8 |
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Tuba |
73 |
8 |
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Gamba Celeste |
73 |
8 |
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French Horn |
73 |
4 |
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Orchestral Flute |
73 |
8 |
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English Horn |
73 |
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Tremolo |
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Pedal Organ – 32 notes
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16 |
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Subbass |
32 |
8 |
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Still Gedeckt |
SW |
16 |
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Bourdon |
32 |
4 |
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Flute [ext.] |
12 |
16 |
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Violone |
GT |
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Mixture [wired] |
— |
16 |
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Echo Lieblich |
SW |
16 |
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Trombone |
32 |
8 |
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Octave [ext.] |
12 |
16 |
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Fagotto |
SW |
8 |
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Gedeckt [ext.] |
12 |
8 |
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Tromba [ext.] |
12 |
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Sources:
Aeolian-Skinner Archives: http://aeolian-skinner.110mb.com/
Dolkart, Andrew S. and Matthew A. Postal. Guide to New York City Landmarks (Third Edition). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2004.
Holden, Dorothy. The Life and Work of Ernest M. Skinner. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1987.
Kinzey, Allen, and Sand Lawn, comps. E.M. Skinner/Aeolian-Skinner Opus List. New Rev. Ed. Richmond: The Organ Historical Society, 1997.
"Organ for Town Hall," The New York Times, December 29, 1922.
Photos:
eBay.com: 1933 postcard of exterior.
Lynnwood Farnam at console: "Stop, Open and Reed – a Periodical Presentation of Pipe Organ Progress". Boston: Skinner Organ Company, 1922-1927.
Town Hall interior with organ console on stage: The American Organist, New York. May 1924. Courtesy Jonathan Bowen. |
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