click on images to enlarge Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church 309 St. Paul's Avenue Staten Island, N.Y. 10304 http://trinitylutheransiny.org Organ Specifications: 309 St. Paul's Avenue (since 1914): Present building (since 1914): ► III/38 Casavant Frères, Op. 2167 (1953) • II/ Reuben Midmer & Sons (<1917) First building (1865-1913): • unknown Cebra Avenue (1856-1865): • unknown Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, originally named Deutsche Evangelische Lutheranische Kirche (German Evangelical Lutheran Church), was founded in October of 1856 by a group of German immigrants that felt a church was needed in the Stapleton area of Staten Island. For the first eight years the congregation met in the Kingsley Methodist Episcopal Church, located on Cebra Avenue. In February of 1865, the congregation acquired four building lots at the corner of Beach Street and what is now St. Paul’s Avenue. In November 1865, the congregation purchased a wood Carpenter Gothic building from the Unitarian Church, located at Victory Boulevard and Cebra Avenue, and moved it to their lots on St. Paul’s Avenue and Beach Street. In May 1866, the congregation held its first service in the new building and continued to use it until 1913. In 1873, the congregation merged with St. John’s Lutheran Church, located on Broad Street in Stapleton, and joint congregation met at the church on St. Paul’s Avenue and Beach Street. In 1907, Trinity called as its pastor the Rev. Dr. Frederic Sutter. Shortly after the arrival of Pastor Sutter, the church felt a need for a new church building. By 1913, work had begun on a new neo-Gothic church and parish house that were designed by the architectural firm of Upjohn & Conable. Hobart B. Upjohn was the son of Richard M. Upjohn and grandson of Richard Upjohn. In 1908, he established a partnership with George W. Conable, and worked together for about six years. Constructed of grey brick with cast stone and limestone trim, the cruciform planned church is distinguished by its recessed central entry porch with curving sidewalls and a groined and ribbed ceiling, large stained-glass windows with Gothic tracery, and massive corner tower ornamented with gargoyles and finials. The words Deutsche Evangelische Lutheran Kirche are inscribed on the cornerstone at the base of the tower. The stained glass windows were produced by the Mayer studio in Munich. The picturesquely designed, L-shaped parish hall was constructed with the same materials as the church. Its design is suggestive of late Gothic chapter houses and collegiate buildings, distinguishing it from the church and giving the architects more flexibility to incorporate modern elements. The new church building was opened in 1914. The church was renamed Trinity Lutheran Church in 1928 to distinguish it from other German Lutheran churches on Staten Island. Trinity Lutheran Church is within the St. Paul's Avenue – Stapleton Heights Historic District, designated on June 29, 2004 by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.             Casavant Frères, Limitée St. Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada – Opus 2167 (1953) Electro-pneumatic action Solid-state combination action 3 manuals, 42 stops, 38 ranks                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes (3½" pressure) 8   Open Diapason 68 2   Fifteenth 61 8   Hohlflöte 68     Mixture III ranks 183 8   Gemshorn 68     Chimes CH 4   Octave 68                   Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed (4½" pressure) 16   Lieblich Bourdon 68   Mixture IV ranks 244 8   Geigen Diapason 68 16   Contra Oboe 68 8   Stopped Diapason 68 8   Trompette * 68 8   Gamba 68 4   Clarion 68 8   Voix Celeste 68   Tremulant 4   Geigen Octave 68   * New rank added by Schantz c.1980; replacing original Trumpet. 4   Flute Triangulaire 68                 Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed (4½" pressure) 8   Melodia 68 2   Piccolo 61 8   Spitz Flute 68 8   Clarinet 68 8   Spitz Flute Celeste 68   Tremulant 4   Lieblich Flute 68   Chimes * 25 tubes 2 2/3   Nazard 61   * from previous organ                 Positive Organ (floating) – 61 notes (3½" pressure) 8   Bourdon 61 2   Flautino 61 4   Principal 61 1 1/3   Larigot 61 4   Flute Harmonique 61 1    Blockflöte 61             Pedal Organ – 32 notes (4", 4½", and 5" pressure) 16   Contra Bass (metal) 32 4   Choral Bass [ext.] 12 16   Bourdon 32 32   Contra Fagotto [ext. SW] digital 16   Gedeckt SW 16   Trombone 32 8   Cello [ext.] 12 16   Fagotto SW 8   Bourdon [ext.] 12 8   Trumpet [ext.] 12 8   Gedeckt SW 4   Clarion [ext.] 12                 Couplers     Great to Pedal 8', 4'   Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'     Swell to Pedal 8', 4'   Positive to Swell 8'     Positive to Pedal 8'   Positive to Choir 8'     Choir to Pedal 8', 4'   Great Super     Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'   Swell Sub, Super     Positive to Great 8   Choir Sub, Super     Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'                     Adjustable Combination Pistons     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 affecting Great stops and couplers     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Swell stops and couplers     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 affecting Choir stops and couplers     Pistons No. 1-2-3 affecting Positive stops     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 affecting Pedal stops (foot)     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5-6 affecting Entire Organ (thumb and foot)     General Release       Adjuster                   Reversibles     Great to Pedal (thumb & foot)   Choir to Great     Swell to Pedal   Positive to Great     Choir to Pedal   Swell to Choir     Positive to Pedal   Full Organ (foot)     Swell to Great                     Balanced Pedals     Expression Pedal to Swell       Expression Pedal to Choir       Crescendo on all stops and couplers               Reuben Midmer & Sons Brooklyn, N.Y. (<1917) Mechanical action 2 manuals This organ may have been the original organ in the present church, which opened in 1914.             Sources:      The Diapason, September 1952 (courtesy Jeff Scofield).      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      "St. Paul's Avenue – Stapleton Heights Historic District Designation Report," New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, June 29, 2004.      Scheer, Stanley. Factory Specification of Casavant Frères Organ, Op. 2167, May 8, 1952.      Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church website: http://trinitylutheransiny.org Photos:      "St. Paul's Avenue – Stapleton Heights Historic District Designation Report": exterior.      Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church website: photo original church; drawing of present church; photo of Casavant Organ, Op. 2167 (1953).   | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |