2014-06-12 - Church exterior (Photograph by John Phelan, via Wikipedia, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)
2014-06-12 - Chancel and façade pipes (Photograph via cramandferguson.com, submitted by Jeff Scofield/Jeff Scofield)
2004-10-30 - Status Note: There 1989 -Database Manager
2021-06-19 - This organ is in pristinely original condition, even down to its wiring and combination action, although it has been barely functional for a decade or more following cellar flooding. It may be one of the most intact organs of its size and age in the country-- essentially a time capsule trip back in time-- as there are virtually no survivors of this lost period in American organ history. This is one of the last organs of its size built by the Hutchings company in its final incarnation in the town of Waltham. With the congregation dwindling in recent years, the congregation merged with another and the building was turned over to the denomination. The building is to be turned into condominiums, and the organ needs to find a home. This instrument is worthy of an OHS Historic Citation of the highest ranking. As an intact example of early 20th-century organbuilding and technology, it is irreplaceable. The instrument is placed in a chamber in the divided chancel. The console is all electric, and there are two combination actions. The main combination action was set via a remote setterboard, still intact, and was a blind system-- i.e. it does not move the stop knobs, indicator lights show the selected combination, and the stopknobs are disengaged allowing them to be set for another registration. The second is a traditional console capture system allowing instantaneous changes by the organist . With the organ barely operational at the time of inspection, it is unclear if the capture system replaced the original setterboard system, of if they could function interchangeably. There is no obviously-labeled device that alternates between the two. The drawknob console uses oblique knobs in straight rows both vertical and horizontal. The chests employ Hutchings sidebar pitman chests. A 5 h.p. Westinghouse motor powers a Spencer blower with a 7" static. The Echo is located in a chamber at the back of the nave. The Swell is on one very large chest with a walkboard down the center, the treble extensions stand on a separate chestlet, and there is a double set of shades facing the nave, operated by a pneumatic machine. The spotted metal pipework retains it cone tuning. The stone church built in the 1890s was designed by Ralph Adams Cram. -Scot Huntington
2023-08-07 - The building was designed by Cram & Ferguson in 1893, making it one of their earliest designed; there was an article on wickedlocal.com October 14, 2021, saying that the New Art Center hoped to purchase the building; however the facility and address were not on the NAC website when checked on August 7, 2014. -Jeff Scofield
Source: From console June, 2007
Hutchings Organ Co. (No. 1724, 1916)
New Jerusalem Church (Swedenborgian)
Now: Church of the Open Word
Newtonville, MA
Compasses: 61/30
GREAT
16' Open Diapason stands on the chest
8' Open Diapason leather lips
8' Gross Flute leather lips, wood
8' Viola da Gamba
4' Octave
4' Flute Harmonique
2 2/3' Twelfth
2' Fifteenth
8' Trumpet
SWELL
16' Bourdon wood
8' Horn Diapason sc. 45
8' Salicional
8' Gedeckt wood
8' Viole d'Orchestre
8' Voix Celeste t.c. Vd'O scale
8' Aeoline
4' Traverse Flute wood
4' Violina
2' Flautino tapered
IV Rks. Cornet 3', 1 3/5' tapered; 2' wide scale, label "Mix"
8' Cornopean wide scale, broad tone
8' Oboe capped
Tremolo
CHOIR
8' Melodia wood
8' Dulciana
4' Flute d'Amour wood
8' Clarinet
Tremolo
ECHO
16' Lieblich Gedeckt wood
8' Gedeckt wood
8' Muted Viole
8' Unda Maris t.c.
4' Lieblich Flute wood
8' Cor Anglais double bell on Oboe stem, slotted
8' Vox Humana
Cathedral Chimes
Tremolo
PEDAL
32' Resultant Bass
16' Open Diapason
16' Bourdon
16' Lieblich Gedeckt
10 2/3' Quint
8' Bass Flute
8' Gedeckt
COUPLERS
Great to Pedal
Swell to Pedal
Swell to Pedal 4'
Choir to Pedal
Echo to Pedal
Chimes to Pedal
Swell to Great 16'
Swell to Great
Swell to Great 4'
Choir to Great 16'
Choir to Great
Choir to Great 4'
Echo to Great
Chimes to Great
Swell to Choir
Echo to Swell
Swell to Swell 16', 4', Unison Release
Choir to Choir 16', 4'
Echo to Echo 16', 4'
Stop Separation
Combination pistons with indicator lamps for combos 1 and higher
[Setterboard in chamber; divisional 0 originally released blind combos]
Great: 0-4, 00, Red 0
Swell: 0-6
Choir: 0-3
Echo: 0-3
Ped. 0-4
Gen. 1-4
Setter
MECHANICAL MOVEMENTS
Sforzando [and indicator lamp]
Gr-Ped [reversible]
All Couplers [hitchdown]
Release Octave Couplers [hitchdown]
Expression pedals: Swell, Choir, Echo
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