First Calvary Baptist Church / Calvary Baptist Church
20 Pemberton
Lawrence, MA
Note: Not extant. Not playable. (in this location)
Images
Ca 1980 - Church exterior (Photograph from an archival source: Unknown, submitted by Andrew Scanlon/Andrew Scanlon)
After 1924 - Church exterior (Photograph from an archival source: Vintage postcard, submitted by Jim Stettner/Jim Stettner)
November 1988 - Fire damaged organ (Photograph by James R. Stettner/Jim Stettner)
November 1988 - Fire damaged organ (Photograph by James R. Stettner/Jim Stettner)
November 1988 - Fire damaged organ (Photograph by James R. Stettner/Jim Stettner)
ca. 1960's - Chancel and front loft with twin organ facades (Photograph from an archival source: Church notecard, submitted by Jim Stettner/Jim Stettner)
Before 1985 - Church exterior (Lawrence Facebook group/Andrew Scanlon)
Consoles
Main
- Organ type: Traditional With Roll Top
- Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
- 3 manuals
- 35 stops
- 29 registers
- 4 divisions
- Key action Type: Electrical
- Stop action Type: Electrical
- Stop layout Type: Stop Keys Above Top Manual
- Manual compass: 61 notes
- Pedal compass: 32 notes
- Pedal Type: Concave Radiating (Meeting AGO Standards)
- Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Meeting AGO Standards)
- Combination action: Adjustable Combination Pistons
- Has combination thumb pistons
- Has combination toe pistons
- Has coupler toe pistons
- Has tutti toe pistons
Notes
2013-05-10 - Altered and relocated existing organ. Identified by James R. Stettner, based on personal knowledge of the organ. -- The Laws organ was a rebuild of the former 1874 Wm. B.D. Simmons organ from Second Baptist Church along with the Swell division of the 1902 Hook & Hastings, Opus 1923 originally built for Trinity Church in New York City. The H & H was a rebuild of a former 1864 Hall & Labagh organ. The original Simmons Great and Swell became the Great and Choir on their original 58-note slider chests with a 3-note treble chest added to each. The Hook & Hastings Swell became the new Swell on its original 56-note slider chest, and with a 17-note treble chest added for notes 57-73.
Calvary Baptist Church was formed in 1921 by the merger of First Free Will Baptist and Second Baptist churches. A new, large brick edifice was erected on the site of the former First Free Will Baptist. In 1934, First Baptist Church merged with Calvary Baptist Church after suffering from a fire in 1933. The merged congregations were renamed First Calvary Baptist Church. On January 8, 1988, First Calvary Baptist Church was all but destroyed by a fire in an electrical box in the room beneath the Swell. What pipework survived the fire was further damaged by exposure to water and the elements. In November 1988, a crew from the Andover Organ Co. lead by Robert C. Newton salvaged seven nearly complete ranks, and many other misc. pipes from the organ before the building was finally razed. -Database Manager
2013-05-14 - Updated through online information from James R. Stettner. -Database Manager
Stoplist
Source: Taken from Robert J. Reich files; and extant dedication program January 21, 1925
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Calvary Baptist Church / First Calvary Baptist Church
WILLIAM W. LAWS, 1924 - Original Specifications
GREAT SWELL (Expressive)
16 Bourdon (tc) 49 (S) 16 Bourdon 73 (H&L)
8 Open Diapason 61 (S) 8 Open Diapason 73 (H&L)
8 Melodia 61 (S) 8 Stopped Diapason 73 (H&H)
8 Dulciana 61 (S) 8 Salicional 73 (H&H)
4 Octave 61 (S) 8 Voix Celeste (tc) 61 (H&H)
4 Flute [chimney] 61 (S) 8 Gemshorn 73 (H&L)
2 Piccolo [chimney] 61 (S) 4 Harmonic Flute 73 (H&H)
III Mixture [19-22] 122 (S) III Dolce Cornet 183 (H&L)
8 Trumpet 61 (20C) 8 Cornopean 73 (H&H)
Chimes (Ch) –- 8 Oboe 73 (H&L)
Tremolo
Great to Great 16' Chimes (Ch) –-
Great Unison [Off]
Great to Great 4' Swell to Swell 16'
Swell Unison [Off]
Swell to Swell 4'
CHOIR (Expressive)
8 Open Diapason 61 (S)
8 Flute [St. Diap.] 61 (S) PEDAL
8 Dulciana 61 (S) 32 Resultant –-
8 Unda Maris (tc) 49 (H&H?) 16 Diapason [wood] 32 (S)
4 Violina 61 (S) 16 Violone [prep] –-
4 Wald Flute 61 (S) 16 Bourdon 32 (S)
8 Clarinet 61 (H&H?) 16 Lieblich Gedeckt 32 (H&H?)
Tremolo 8 Flute (Diap) 12 (Unk)
Chimes (Deagan; ta-e2) 20 8 Violoncello [prep] –-
4 Flute (Diap) 12 (Unk)
Choir to Choir 16' 4 Violina [prep] –-
Choir Unison [Off]
Choir to Choir 4'
COUPLERS FINGER PISTONS
Swell to Pedal 8,4 General 1 – 12
Great to Pedal 8 Swell 1 – 8
Choir to Pedal 8 Great 1 – 8
Choir 1 – 8
Swell to Great 16,8,4
Choir to Great 16,8,4
TOE STUDS
Swell to Choir 16,8,4 Pedal 1 – 4
Gt. to Ped. (rev)
Sforzando (rev)
PEDAL MOVEMENTS
Swell Expression (bal.)
Choir Expression (bal.)
Crescendo (bal.)
ACTION: E-P Slider VOICES: 29 STOPS: 35 RANKS: 32 PIPES: 1961
& Unit (inc. chimes)
NOTES
Calvary Baptist was formed in 1924 by a merger between Free Will Baptist and
Second Baptist churches. A new edifice was erected on the site of the Free
Will Baptist Church. After First Baptist suffered a fire in 1933 and joined
Calvary in 1934 it became First Calvary Baptist Church.
The 1874 Simmons organ from Second Baptist was electrified by William W. Laws.
The original Great and Swell Simmons chests were used for the new Great and
Choir divisions. The chests were fitted with electro-pneumatic pull-downs and
slider motors, and a 3-note treble chest was added to each division to increase
the compass from 58 to 61 notes.
The 'new' Swell division was made of chests and pipes from the 1902 Hook &
Hastings organ, Opus 1923, built for Trinity Church in New York City. This
was itself a rebuild of an 1864 Hall & Labagh organ. A 12-note extension chest
was added to increase the compass from 61 to 73 notes. In the preceding speci-
fication, the provenance of each rank is given in parenthesis next to the pipe
count: Simmons (S), Hook & Hastings (H&H), Hall & Labagh (H&L), and Unknown
(Unk).
On the Great, the 8' Dulciana is actually the former Viol d'Gamba. The 4' Flute
was stopped wood for the first 12 notes followed by 37 chimneyed pipes and the
remainder open metal trebles. The 2' Piccolo started as 37 chimneyed metal pipes
and then changed to open metal trebles. The III Mixture was actually only II
ranks. And the 8' Trumpet had its first 18 pipes on an offset chest.
On the Swell, the Hall & Labagh 8' Open Diapason had been tenor C, so the bass
is by Hook & Hastings. The 8' Gemshorn is actually the former 8' Dolce. The 4'
Violina was used as a tenor C celeste with the Salicional.
On the Choir, the 8' Open Diapason has a stopped wood bass. The 4' Violina was
originally the Simmons 4' Principal. The 4' Wald Flute has 17 stopped wood
basses followed by 36 harmonic metal pipes and the balance in non-harmonic
open metal trebles. The bass of the 8' Clarinet was more recent.
On the Pedal, the 16' Lieblich Gedeckt replaced the original Simmons 8' Cello.
Sources: Robert J. Reich files; extant, post-fire organ
First Calvary Baptist Church
Pemberton & Common Sts.
Lawrence, MA. 01842 Documented: November, 1988
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