Better Pipe Organ Database

Schlicker Organ Co. (1959)

First Presbyterian Church
Cooperstown, NY

Images

2006 - Builder's nameplate (Photograph by Scot Huntington/Scot Huntington)

2006 - Keydesk (Photograph by Scot Huntington/Scot Huntington)

2006 - Front of church with hanging mobile in front of organ facade (Photograph by Scot Huntington/Scot Huntington)

2006 - Present church appearance after post-War "colonial" makeover with new entrance (Photograph by Scot Huntington/Scot Huntington)

2019-08-14 - Pipe Facade (Photograph by Jack Wood/Database Manager)

2019-08-14 - Console (Photograph by Jack Wood/Database Manager)

Consoles

Main

Organ type: Non-Traditional Style, As Consoles by Holtkamp, Schlicker, et al
Console position: Console in Fixed Position, Center
2 manuals
26 stops
34 registers
3 divisions
Key action Type: Electrical
Stop action Type: Electrical
Stop layout Type: Tilting/Rocking Tablets Above Top Manual
Manual compass: 61 notes
Pedal compass: 32 notes
Pedal Type: Concave Radiating (Details Unknown)
Expression Type: Balanced Expression Shoes/Pedals (Meeting AGO Standards)
Has crescendo
Combination action: 'Hold and Set' Pneumatic/Mechanical
Has combination thumb pistons
Has combination toe pistons

Notes

2019-03-10 - This describes a rebuild of an existing organ. <br>Identified by David Lenington<br> -Database Manager

2020-11-02 - The original Steer & Turner organ remained unaltered until electrified and tonally modified by the Schlicker Organ Co. in 1957. The rebuild included a new Schlicker-style rocking tablet console, with a number of prepared-for stops which have never been installed. -Scot Huntington

2021-10-23 - The Steere was so heavily rebuilt by Schlicker that it is essentially a new organ with old parts rather than a rebuilt old organ, although the original manual slider chests were retained with electro-pneumatic pull-down action. There are several prepared-for stops, and the organ would be improved with their addition, the organ is already so cramped inside the case, it's hard to tell where these stops would be installed. Although the original facade pipes were repainted in aluminum paint, the original chaste decoration is preserved underneath. The pipes were fitted with slide tuners, presumably part of an effort to re-pitch the organ to A440 and to get rid of expression-type tuning slots. -Scot Huntington

2021-10-27 - Unlike other major rebuilds, this organ is not on the Schlicker opus list, and therefore was not assigned a job number nor is it found in promotional literature of the day. Schlicker did quite a few rebuilds similar to this one in the 1950s and early 60s, often retaining the mechanical-action chassis. The recasting of antique pipework on a neo-baroque framework was commonplace among the early tracker builders following a pattern similar to Schlicker's approach with this organ. -Scot Huntington

Stoplist

Source: Taken from console. May 2006

Schlicker Organ Co. (1957)
rb. Steer & Turner No. 83, 1874
First Presbyterian Church
Cooperstown, NY

Console compasses: 61/32 [manual pipework stops at A-58]
Manual slider chests original with pneumatic pulldowns

GREAT  [with new floating-top reservoir]
8' Principal       1-17 facade
8' Gedeckt         ex-Sw. denicked
8' Dulciana        1-12 zinc with rollers
4' Octave
4' Spitzfloete     prepared for on empty toeboard after Dulciana
2 2/3' Quint
2' Super Octave
V  Mixture         New, cone tuned; C 1 1/3, 1, 2/3, 1/2;              
                      breaks on c#26 and 38, and 5 ranks from c#14; on jump slide
8' Swell Aeoline   inoperative, newer chest post-Schlicker, 1-12 Quintadena
   Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'

SWELL [enclosed, new supply-house reservoir]
8' Flauto Traverso open f18, harmonic c25; marked 'Melodia'
8' Salicional      1-12 Quintadena
4' Principal       marked 'Gr Op'
4' Rohrfloete      new, spotted metal
2' Waldfloete      new, spotted metal
II Sesquialtera    prepared for
8' Oboe
4' Schalmey        new on offset chest, 17 flue trebles
   Tremolo
   Swell to Swell 16', 4'

PEDAL
16' Principal      old, open wood, top 5 new on offset chest
16' Bourdon        old, on new electric chest
 8' Octave         1-16 facade (Great), remainder spurious pipes
 8' Gedeckt        extension 16'
 4' Octave         extension 8'
 2' Octave         extension 8'
IV  Mixture        typed label over Gedeckt 4' tablet
16' Fagott         prepared for
 4' Schalmey       from Swell
    Great to Pedal 8'
    Swell to Pedal 8'

Balanced expression and crescendo pedals
Hold and set: 3 divisional combinations to each division plus 4 generals
G.C. [General Cancel]

Related Pipe Organ Database Entries

#67208 - Steer & Turner [J.W. Steer] Opus No. 83 (1874)