St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church
49 Vine Street
Boston (Charlestown), MA
OHS convention: 1961
Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
Images
Ca 1960's - Exterior (Photograph from an archival source: Archdiocese of Boston, submitted by Andrew Scanlon /Andrew Scanlon )
2020 - Exterior. Church is now a Dollar Tree discount store (Photograph by Backside of America blog, submitted by Andrew Scanlon /Andrew Scanlon )
ca 1900 - Church exterior (Photograph from an archival source: Historic postcard, Wikipedia, submitted by Andrew Scanlon /Andrew Scanlon )
Before 2012 - Interior before closing (Photograph from an archival source: Picture hanging in chapel basement of St Mary’s Church Charlestown, submitted by Andrew Scanlon /Andrew Scanlon )
2008-11-21 - 2004 photo of organ in rear gallery (Digital image by Leonardo Ciampa/Database Manager)
2008-12-15 - Detail of Ciampa photo (Submitted by James R. Stettner/Database Manager)
2008-11-01 - Organ in gallery (Photograph courtesy of Organ Clearing House/Database Manager)
2008-11-01 - Keydesk (Photograph Courtesy of Organ Clearing House/Database Manager)
Early 20th C - Church exterior (Boston Catholic archive/Andrew Scanlon)
Consoles
Main
- Organ type: Traditional With Hinged Doors That Enclose Keyboards
- Console position: Keydesk Attached
- 3 manuals
- 32 registers
- Key action Type: Mechanical With Pneumatic Assists
- Stop action Type: Mechanical With Pneumatic Assists
- Stop layout Type: Drawknobs in Horizontal Rows on Flat Jambs
- Pedal Type: Flat Straight
- Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Details Unknown)
- Combination action: Fixed Mechanical
Notes
2004-10-30 - Status Note: There 1993. -Database Manager
2004-10-30 - Barker lever & cone valve chests. -Database Manager
2007-09-01 - Updated through online information from Barbara Owen. -- Formerly in Universalist Church, Roxbury. Rebuilt in 1890s by Hutchings. Extant, but unplayable for many years. Church under threat. -Database Manager
2008-02-23 - Updated through online information from Leonardo Ciampa. -- Church building is now closed and the organ will be listed through the Organ Clearing House. Final Mass was said there 10 Feb. 2008. Parish merged with St. Mary's in Charlestown. Organ is historically significant. It is the only known surviving Baumgarten. (He was a Walcker employee who helped install the Walcker of subsequent Methuen fame.) Baumgarten built several organs in the late 1860s with Walcker-type cone-valve chests, but they didn't fair well in New England weather. Most of them eventually got replaced or extensively rebuilt. The St. Catherine's Baumgarten was originally built for a Universalist Church in Roxbury, and moved to St. Catherine's c. 1890 by Hutchings, who made some mechanical alterations but, as far as we know, no significant tonal ones. The original Barker machine was maintained. The organ has been only barely playable for 40-50 years. -Database Manager
2008-06-04 - Updated through online information from Leonardo Ciampa. -- After leaving Walcker and serving as head voicer for Hook & Hastings, Baumgarten then worked for Hutchings. He was actually working for Hutchings when this organ was moved; thus, he himself was involved in the work! He then died only a few years later. Because of Baumgarten's exceptional skill as a voicer, and the fact that this is the only Baumgarten left intact, in existence, it is fair to say that this is an organ of unusual and extraordinary historic value. The organ is still partially playable. -Database Manager
2009-11-15 - Updated through online information from Lee Eiseman. -Database Manager
2009-11-18 - Updated through online information from Lee Eiseman. -- This instrument is for sale and must be removed by April 20, 2010. Please contact Lee Eiseman at nolisome@verizon.net or 617-7848. -Database Manager
2011-11-02 - Updated through online information from Christopher W. Powell. -- This instrument was saved shortly before demolition of the St. Catherine Church. It is being rebuilt and relocated by the A. David Moore company in Vermont with respect for the integrity of the original voicing and tonality of the instrument, but with new chests. To be installed in 2014 at St. Paul Catholic Church in Pensacola, Florida, the instrument will be located in the tribune (rear gallery) and will hopefully be enlarged with a Trompette 8' on the Swell, an expanded pedalboard with additional foundation stops, and a 32' register. The instrument will have Barker-assisted mechanical action. The previous cone-chests will be replaced by a more up-to-date, reliable system. -Database Manager
2013-05-06 - Updated through online information from David F. McCaffrey. -Database Manager
2013-05-13 - Updated through online information from David F. McCaffrey. -- I used to play this organ in the 1960s and 1970s. My first organ teacher studied on this organ and was the organist there in the 1920s and 1930s. -Database Manager
Stoplist
Typed stoplist from David Bohn Source: Source not recorded Date not recorded
Boston (Charlestown), Massachusetts
Saint Catherine of Siena church in Charlestown
Organ by Moritz or Maurice Baumgarten Jr.
Worked for Walcker and then for H&H.
Formed own business in the 1860s based in New Haven, building about
20 organs between 1866-8.
Then returned to H&H, eventually becoming head voicer; it is said
that he was largely reponsible for the Holy Cross Cathedral Organ.
Died in 1900
STOPLIST
Great (58 notes): Swell (58 notes):
Open Diapason 16 Bourdon 16
Open Diapason 8 Open Diapason 8
Gedeckt 8 Stopped Diapason 8
Viola da Gamba 8 Salicional 8
Doppel Flute 8 Flauto Traverso 4
Octave 4 Violina 4
Flute 4 Dolce Cornet III (12-15-17)
Quinte 3 Oboe 8
Super Octave 2 Tremulant
Mixture III (12-15-17)
Trumpet 8 Choir (58 notes):
Great to Pneumatic Violin Diapason 8
Swell to Great Melodia 8
Choir to Great Aeoline 8
Flute Harmonique 4
Pedal (27 notes): Piccolo 2
Open Diapason 16 Clarinet 8
Bourdon 16 Swell to Choir
Violoncello 8
Great to Pedal Great to Pedal Reversible
Swell to Pedal Four Composition Pedals
Choir to Pedal
--
[Posted to OHS Members list January 28, 2008 by David Bohn.]
Documents
Websites
Related Pipe Organ Database Entries
Other Links
Regrettably, it is not possible to display the information about the sponsor of this pipeorgandatabase entry or if there is a sponsor. Please see About Sponsors on Pipe Organ Database.