Better Pipe Organ Database

Estey Organ Co. Opus 175 (1904)

St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church
1501 East Oliver Street
Baltimore, MD

Note: Not playable. (in this location)

Images


Fall 1967 - Reisner console when located in the balcony (Photograph by Mark Hurley/Mark Hurley)

2019-09-28 - Church Exterior (Photograph by Mark Hurley/Database Manager)

2019-09-28 - Church Interior (console is in chancel on right) (Photograph by Mark Hurley/Database Manager)

2019-09-28 - Portion of Great 8' Open Diapason and 4' Principal (all in good condition) (Photograph by Mark Hurley/Database Manager)

2019-09-28 - Reisner Console (Photograph by Mark Hurley/Database Manager)

2019-09-28 - Organ Facade (tallest pipes part of Great 16' Double Open Diapason) (Photograph by Mark Hurley/Database Manager)

Early 1900's - Picture illustrates the organ at the rear of the church. Close inspection of the en fenetre console possibly shows the "patent Haskell" stop key action. (Estey Organ Museum Website/Mark Hurley)

Consoles

Main

Notes

2007-06-23 - Identified by James R. Stettner through information from the Estey Opus List, published in The Boston Organ Club newsletter, 1973-1979. -Database Manager

2008-06-01 - Updated through online information from Phil Stimmel. -- Original Tubular-pneumatic action electrified, new console ca. 1950. -Database Manager

2008-10-28 - Updated through online information from JOHN IGOE. -- This church was closed in 1998. -Database Manager

2009-08-02 - Updated through online information from Mark Hurley. -- Church not closed. See Estey organ site for information on electrification of organ by William Bardroff and Son. -Database Manager

2016-12-17 - Updated through online information from Steve Bartley. <br>Sun Paper 11/29/1904 announced the dedication of the organ with some details of the instrument. 32 stop, 1603 pipes, pipe facade is 41 feet wide, case of golden oak. The front pipes are arranged to expose the rose window and the facade pipes are gold color. Though the building was closed, for a while, the St. Francis Xavier congregation has occupied the building for about 10 years and the interior of the building has been renovated, though the organ has not. -Database Manager

2020-07-16 - On my September 28, 2019 visit, the organ's console had been moved to the sanctuary at some unknown date and company. I had heard about this being done through the usual "organists' grapevine. During a quick inspection of the dusty, but dry, organ chambers, I found that the organ had been refurbished with two new regulators, replacing the single huge double-rise reservoir I remember years ago. In addition, the great trumpet appeared to have been repaired, as there were no visible resonators that had previously fallen over. All of the great pipework appeared to be otherwise undamaged. Time did not permit an inspection of the swell chamber, which is difficult to access. The church has no plans to remove the organ; therefore, it will, at least, remain sheltered in the church. A cursory review of the OHS' database entries for Estey organs in Maryland would lead one to believe that this organ may be one of the largest, if not the largest, Estey organ installed in Maryland. It should be noted that this Estey Opus 175 organ is nearly identical to Estey Opus 183 (also 1904) that was installed in the Second Church of Christ, Scientist in Kansas City, Missouri. See [https://www.pipeorgandatabase.org/organ/26577]. -Mark Hurley

Stoplist

Original document from Mark Hurley. Source: Stoplist taken from current console by memory 2017-05-25

Baltimore, MD
St. Paul's R.C. Church

Organ by Estey Organ Co.
Brattleboro, Vermont
Opus #175

GREAT (Unenclosed):
16     Double Open Diapason
8'     Open Diapason
8'     Melodia
8'     Viola da Gamba
4'     Principal
4'     Flute D'Amour
2-2/3' Twelfth
2'     Fifteenth
8'     Trumpet
4'     Great to Great
16'    Swell to Great
8'     Swell to Great
4'     Swell to Great

SWELL (Enclosed):
16'    Bourdon
2'     Flautina (replaced Violin Diapason in rebuild)
8'     Stopped Diapason
8'     Salicional
8'     Vox Celeste
8'     Quintadena
8'     Aeoline
4'     Harmonic Flute
4'     Violina
III    Dolce Cornet
8'     Cornopean
8'     Oboe (labial)
       Tremolo
16'    Swell to Swell
4'     Swell to Swell

PEDAL (Unenclosed):
16'    Open Diapason
16'    Bourdon
8'     Violoncello
8'     Great to Pedal
8'     Swell to Pedal

Manual compass: 61 notes
Pedal compass: 32 notes (pedal ranks are 30 notes, but were not extended when organ was electrified)
Chest Action: Ventil tubular pneumatic
Electro-pneumatic primaries installed when organ was electrified.

Swell pistons: 1-2-3-4 (affecting pedal)
Great pistons: 1-2-3-4 (affecting pedal)
Set button (tripper type pistons)
Sforzando reverisble toe stud (with red indicator light)
Great to Pedal reversible toe stud
Register crescendo pedal (with no indicator light [!])

The organ was electrified sometime after W.W. II by Baltimore organ
builder William Bardroff & Son.  The original console was en fentre
in the center of the case and employed the Haskell stop keys above
the swell manual.  It was replaced by a Reisner console.

The last time this writer played the organ was in 1969.  The
great trumpet has been disconnected because organ service man
(Edward Bardroff) allowed some of the resonators to fall over
because of rotten twill tape that held them up on their racks.
This writer reconnect the trumpet only to hear what it sounded
like.  What worked was brilliant.  The rank was in the back
of the great chest under the rose window and received some water
damage as well.  It was a heroic instrument of its day and needs
a savior.

Saint Paul Church parish was turned over to Saint Francis Congregation in about May 1968.  The Church has been in continuos use ever since.

Websites

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