Loew's Valencia Theatre - Jamaica (Queens), N.Y. (photo: Cinema Treasures)
 
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Loew's Valencia Theatre

165-11 Jamaica Avenue at 165th Street
Jamaica (Queens), N.Y. 11432







Loew's Valencia Theatre - Jamaica (Queens), N.Y. (photo: AJWB Collection)  
The 3,440-seat Loew's Valencia Theatre opened on January 12th, 1929, and was the first of five "Wonder Theatres" in the Loew's chain. Architect John Eberson based his design on Spanish architecture motifs, creating a Latin illusion through extensive use of wrought iron railings, ornate tile work, sculpture and murals. Its romantic, brick and glazed terra-cotta facade was inspired by Spanish and Mexican architecture of the Baroque or "Churrigueresque" period, with detail including elaborate ornamental terra-cotta pilasters, cherub heads, half-shells, volutes, floral swags, curvilinear gables and decorative finials.

Loew's operated the Valencia until 1977, when the company donated the theatre to a Pentecostal church, the Tabernacle of Prayer for All People. Although the interior has been repainted in brighter colors and a huge chandelier now hangs from the "atmospheric" sky, the church has maintained the building's exterior with few changes.
         
  Ben Hall at the Robert-Morton console originally in the Valencia Theatre (1928) - Jamaica (Queens), N.Y. (photo: David Junchen)
 
Ben Hall at the Valencia's Wonder Morton console, as relocated to Peter Schaeble's residence on L.I.
Robert-Morton Organ Co.
Van Nuys, Calif. (1928)
Electro-pneumatic action
4 manuals, 23 ranks




The Loew's chain purchased five identical (except for console ornamentation) "Wonder Mortons" for their deluxe New York area houses: the Paradise Theatre (1929) in the Bronx; the Kings Theatre (1929) in Brooklyn; the Valencia Theatre (1928) in Jamaica, Queens; the Jersey Theatre (1929) in Jersey City, N.J.; and the 175th Street Theatre (1930) in Manhattan. The so-called "Wonder Mortons" were essentially larger versions of the four 4/20s built for Loew's houses in St. Louis, Mo.; Columbus, Oh.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and Providence, R.I.

Loew's Valencia Theatre - Jamaica (Queens), N.Y. (photo: Theatre Historical Society)  
The four-manual Wonder Morton console in the Valencia was installed on a separate lift at the far left side of the orchestra pit. In 1966, the late Peter Schaeble purchased the organ from the Valencia Theatre and had it installed in his Long Island residence. After Schaeble's death in 1996, Jasper Sanfilippo acquired and stored the organ with the idea of installing it in the carousel building on his property in Barrington Hills, Ill., but those plans did not materialize. At some point, the organ was sold to the Balboa Theatre Foundation and installed in the restored Balboa Theatre in San Diego, Calif.
             
Pedal – 32 notes
32
   Resultant Bass  
8
   Gamba
16
   Tuba Profunda  
8
   Viola Celeste
16
   Oboe Horn  
8
   Violin
16
   Diaphone  
8
   Celeste Violin
16
   Solo Tibia Clausa       Bass Drum
16
   Bourdon       Tympani
16
   Gamba       Cymbal
8
   Tuba Mirabilis       Snare Drums
8
   English Horn        
8
   Oboe Horn       Pedal 2nd Touch
8
   Saxophone       Chimes
8
   Diaphone Diapason       Bass Drum
8
   Horn Diapason       Tympani
8
   Tibia Plena       Cymbal
8
   Solo Tibia Clausa       Crash Cymbal
8
   Flute       Snare Drums
             
Accompaniment (Manual I) – 61 notes
16
   Violin [TC]  
2 2/3
   Twelfth
16
   Celeste Violin [TC]  
2
   Piccolo
8
   Tuba Mirabilis  
2
   Fifteenth
8
   English Horn       Harp Marimba
8
   Oboe Horn       Chrysoglott
8
   French Horn       Xylophone
8
   Saxophone       Snare Drums
8
   Diaphonic Diapason       Wood Drums
8
   Horn Diapason       Tom Tom
8
   Solo Tibia Clausa       Tambourine
8
   Foundation Tibia Clausa       Castanets
8
   Flute       Chinese Gong
8
   Gamba  
16
   Accompaniment
8
   Viola Celeste  
8
   Accompaniment
8
   Salicional  
8
   Great
8
   Concert Violin  
8
   Solo
8
   Celeste Violin        
8
   Kinura       Accomp. 2nd Touch
8
   Clarinet  
8
   Tuba Mirabilis
8
   Foundation Vox Humana  
8
   English Horn
4
   Tuba Mirabilis  
8
   Diaphonic Diapason
4
   Diaphonic Diapason  
8
   Horn Diapason
4
   Solo Tibia Clausa  
8
   Solo Tibia Clausa
4
   Flute  
8
   Foundation Tibia Clausa
4
   Gamba  
4
   Tibia Plena
4
   Viola Celeste       Chimes
4
   Concert Violin       Triangle
4
   Celeste Violin       Bird Whistle
4
   Foundation Vox Humana        
             
Great (Manual II) – 61 notes
16
   Tuba Profunda  
4
   Tuba Mirabilis
16
   Oboe Horn  
4
   Oboe Horn
16
   Saxophone [TC]  
4
   Diaphonic Diapason
16
   Diaphone  
4
   Horn Diapason
16
   Tibia Plena [TC]  
4
   Tibia Plena
16
   Solo Tibia Clausa  
4
   Solo Tibia Clausa
16
   Bourdon  
4
   Foundation Tibia Clausa
16
   Gamba  
4
   Flute
16
   Concert Viol [TC]  
4
   Gamba
16
   Celeste Violin [TC]  
4
   Viola Celeste
16
   Foundation Vox Humana [TC]  
4
   Concert Violin
8
   Tuba Mirabilis  
4
   Celeste Violin
8
   English Horn  
4
   Foundation Vox Humana
8
   Oboe Horn  
2 2/3
   Twelfth
8
   Trumpet  
2
   Piccolo
8
   French Horn  
2
   Fifteenth
8
   Saxophone  
1 3/5
   Tierce
8
   Diaphonic Diapason       Harp Marimba
8
   Horn Diapason       Chrysoglott
8
   Tibia Plena       Glockenspiel
8
   Solo Tibia Clausa       Orchestra Bells
8
   Foundation Tibia Clausa       Xylophone
8
   Flute       Chimes
8
   Gamba  
4
   Great
8
   Viola Celeste      
8
   Salicional       Great 2nd Touch
8
   Concert Violin  
16
   Tuba Profunda
8
   Celeste Violin  
16
   Oboe Horn
8
   Kinura  
16
   Diaphone
8
   Clarinet  
16
   Tibia Plena [TC]
8
   Krumet  
16
   Gamba
8
   Foundation Vox Humana        
             
Orchestral (Manual III) – 61 notes
8
   Tuba Mirabilis  
4
   Solo Tibia Clausa
8
   English Horn  
4
   Foundation Tibia Clausa
8
   Oboe Horn  
4
   Flute
8
   Trumpet  
4
   Concert Violin
8
   French Horn  
4
   Celeste Violin
8
   Saxophone  
2
   Piccolo
8
   Diaphonic Diapason  
2
   Violin
8
   Horn Diapason  
 
   Harp Marimba
8
   Solo Tibia Clausa  
 
   Chrysoglott
8
   Flute  
 
   Glockenspiel
8
   Salicional  
 
   Orchestra Bells
8
   Concert Violin  
 
   Xylophone
8
   Celeste Violin  
 
   Chimes
8
   Kinura  
16
   Orchestral
8
   Clarinet  
4
   Orchestral
8
   Krumet  
8
   Great
4
   Tuba Mirabilis        
             
Solo (Manual IV) – 61 notes
8
   Tuba Mirabilis  
8
   Kinura
8
   English Horn  
8
   Clarinet
8
   Oboe Horn  
8
   Krumet
8
   Trumpet  
8
   Solo Vox Humana
8
   French Horn  
4
   Tibia Plena
8
   Saxophone  
 
   Harp Marimba
8
   Diaphonic Diapason  
 
   Chrysoglott
8
   Horn Diapason  
 
   Glockenspiel
8
   Tibia Plena  
 
   Orchestra Bells
8
   Solo Tibia Clausa  
 
   Xylophone
8
   Foundation Tibia Clausa  
 
   Chimes
8
   Flute  
16
   Solo
8
   Gamba  
4
   Solo
8
   Viola Celeste  
16
   Great
8
   Concert Violin  
8
   Great
8
   Celeste Violin  
4
   Great
             
Tremolos
  Effect Buttons
    Left       Grand Crash
    Tibia Plena       Cymbal
    Foundation Tibia Clausa       Triangle
    Foundation Vox Humana       Bird
    Right       Sleigh Bells
    Right Reeds       Telephone
    Tuba Mirabilis       Door Bell
    English Horn       Steamboat
    Solo Tibia Clausa       Fire Gong
    Solo Vox Humana       Bell Low
            Bell High
             
Stop Key Colors
  Toe Levers
Reeds and diapasons: red  
Sforzando: 1st touch stops
  2nd touch percussions
Tibias, flutes, strings and couplers: white  
Tremolos: black   Surf
Traps: amber   Wind
Tuned percussions: brown   Thunder
      Aeroplane
      Horse Hoof
       
Stop Analysis
Foundation Chamber
16
   Tuba Mirabilis
73 pipes
16
   Flute
97 pipes
16
   Oboe Horn
85 pipes
8
   Gamba
73 pipes
8
   Salicional
73 pipes
8
   Viola Celeste
85 pipes
8
   Tibia Clausa
49 pipes
8
   Horn Diapason
61 pipes
8
   French Horn
61 pipes
8
   Clarinet
61 pipes
8
   Krumet
61 pipes
8
   Vox Humana
73 pipes
 
Solo Chamber
16
   Diaphonic Diapason
73 pipes
16
   Tibia Clausa
97 pipes
8
   Tibia Plena
73 pipes
8
   Concert Violin
85 pipes
8
   Violin Celeste
73 pipes
8
   Violin Celeste II
73 pipes
8
   English Horn
61 pipes
8
   Trumpet
61 pipes
8
   Saxophone
61 pipes
8
   Kinura
61 pipes
8
   Vox Humana
73 pipes
         
Sources:
     Cinema Treasures web site: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/903
     Junchen, David. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. II. Pasadena: Showcase Publications, 1989.
     Theatre Historical Society of America: http://www.historictheatres.org

Illustrations:
     Cinema Treasures web site. Loew's Valencia Theatre vertical sign.
     Junchen, David. Encyclopedia of the American Theatre Organ, Vol. II. Ben Hall at the Wonder Morton console in Peter Schaeble's residence.
     Theatre Historical Society of America. Interior.