Click on images to enlarge Madison Avenue Baptist Church 30 East 31st Street at Madison Avenue New York, N.Y. 10016 http://www.mabcnyc.org/ Organ Specifications: 30 East 31st Street at Madison Avenue (since 1930) ► III/30 Henry Pilcher's Sons (1931) 133 Madison Avenue at 31st Street (1858-1930) ► III/37 Geo. Jardine & Son (1892) ► II/28 Henry Erben & Co. (1859) 154 Lexington Avenue (1839-1858) • unknown Madison Avenue Baptist Church is one of the older Baptist congregations in New York City, having been established in 1839 as the Rose Hill Church. The congregation's first building was located at 154 Lexington Avenue, which is now the First Moravian Church. In 1858, the church moved to 133 Madison Avenue at 31st Street where an impressive Romanesque building was erected. During the late 1920s, several "Skyscraper Churches" were built in Manhattan (e.g., Second Presbyterian, Calvary Baptist, and First Reformed Episcopal) in which a church facility is incorporated into an apartment building (or hotel, as was the case with Calvary Baptist). Such an arrangement took advantage of the church's prime location, while usually producing a steady income for its coffers. Thus, in 1930 Madison Avenue Baptist Church agreed to lease its property so that a new 15-story hotel could be built, with space at its base for the church, as designed by Jardine, Hill & Murdock.             Henry Pilcher's Sons Louisville, Ky. (1931) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 47 stops, 30 ranks The Henry Pilcher's Son organ for Madison Avenue Baptist Church was dedicated October 11-16 by Mr. H. Everett Hall, church organist, assisted by Mr. Charles M. Courboin as guest recitalist.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes 8   1st Diapason 73 2   Fifteenth [ext.] — 8   2nd Diapason 73   Mixture IV ranks 244 8   Philomela 73 8   Tuba 73 8   Gamba 73   Tremulant 4   Octave 73   Chimes  EC 4   Philomela [ext.] —               Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Bourdon [unit] 97 2 2/3   Bourdon — 8   Phonon Diapason 73 2   Bourdon — 8   Bourdon — 8   Cornopean 73 8   Viol d'Orchestre 73 8   Oboe 73 8   Viole Celeste 73 8   French Horn 73 8   Aeoline 73   Tremulant 4   Bourdon —   Chimes  EC             Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Dulciana [unit] 97 4   Dulciana — 8   English Diapason 73 2 2/3   Dulciana — 8   Concert Flute 85 8   Clarinet 73 8   Viola 73   Tremulant 8   Dulciana —   Harp [Deagan] 61 bars 4   Concert Flute —   Celesta               Echo Organ – 61 notes, enclosed (playable from Swell and Choir) 8   Flauto Dolce 73 8   Vox Humana 61 8   Flauto Dolce Celeste [TC] 61   Tremulant 8   Vox Angelica 61   Chimes [Deagan] 21 tubes 4   Flauto Dolce [ext.] —                       Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Resultant — 8   Dulciana CH 16   Diapason 44 8   Diapason — 16   Subbass 32 8   Bourdon — 16   Bourdon 44 8   Flute Dolce SW 16   Bourdon SW 8   Dulciana CH 16   Gamba [ext.] GT 16   Tuba [ext. GT] 12             Geo. Jardine & Son New York City (1892) Mechanical action 3 manuals, 33 stops, 37 ranks In 1892, Geo. Jardine & Son of New York City enlarged the existing organ built in 1859 by Henry Erben. This organ was transferred to the Chapel Auditorium of the new building in 1931.                 Great Organ (Manual II) 16   Open Diapason   4   Night Horn   8   Open Diapason   2 2/3   Quintena   8   Viola da Gamba   2   Fife   8   Wald Flute       Mixture III ranks   8   Dulciana   8   Trumpet 8   Stopped Diapason   8   Clarinet 4   Principal                     Swell Organ (Manual III) – enclosed 16   Bourdon Bass   4   Principal 16   Bourdon Treble   2   Flageolet 8   Open Diapason     Cornet III ranks 8   Viol d'Amour   8   Cornopean 8   Stopped Diapason   8   Oboe             Choir Organ (Manual I) – enclosed 8   Salicional   4   Salicet   8   Aeoline   2   Piccolo   8   Melodia   8   Vox Humana   4   Flute Harmonique                       Pedal Organ 16   Open Diapason   8   Violoncello   16   Violin Gamba   16   Trombone                   Couplers     Swell to Great   Great to Pedals     Swell to Great octaves   Swell to Pedals     Swell to Choir   Choir to Pedals     Choir to Great                     Combinations     Six Piston Knobs to Swell   Reversible Great to Pedal     Three Combination Pedals to Great                 Henry Erben New York City (1859) Mechanical action 2 manuals, 24 stops, 28 ranks The original organ for the church at 133 Madison Avenue was built in 1859 by Henry Erben.                 Great Organ (Manual I) 16   Open Diapason 4   Principal 8   Open Diapason 4   Night Horn 8   Viola da Gamba   Mixture III ranks 8   Wald Flute 8   Trumpet 8   Dulciana 8   Clarinet 8   Stopped Diapason               Swell Organ (Manual II) – enclosed 16   Bourdon Bass   4   Principal 16   Bourdon Treble   2   Flageolet 8   Open Diapason     Cornet III ranks 8   Viol d'Amour   8   Cornopean 8   Stopped Diapason   8   Oboe             Pedal Organ 16   Open Diapason   8   Violoncello   16   Violon Gamba   16   Trombone                   Couplers     Great to Pedal         Swell to Pedal         Swell to Great                 Sources:      The Diapason, November 1931. Specifications of Henry Pilcher's Sons Organ (1931); courtesy Jeff Scofield.      Dunlap, David. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      The Organist, Vol. I, No. 10, February, 1893. Specifications of the Geo. Jardine & Son organ (1892). Courtesy Sand Lawn and Jonathan Bowen.      Webber, F.R. "Organ scrapbook" at Organ Historical Society Archives, Princeton, N.J. Specifications of Geo. Jardine & Son organ (1892) showing additions to Henry Erben organ (1859). Courtesy Jonathan Bowen. Photos:      eBay.com: 1960 postcard of church interior.      Lawson, Steven E.: exterior of present church.             | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |