Better Pipe Organ Database

Hilborne L. Roosevelt Opus 73 (1880)

St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church
1941 Christian Street
Philadelphia, PA

OHS convention: 1960, 1996

Images


2007-09-19 - Detail of wood facade pipes (Photograph by Paul R Marchesano/Paul R. Marchesano)

2007-09-19 - Console (Photograph by Paul R Marchesano/Paul R. Marchesano)

2007-09-19 - Organ case and nave (Photograph by Paul R Marchesano/Paul R. Marchesano)

2007-09-19 - Nameplate (Photograph by Paul R Marchesano/Paul R. Marchesano)

2007-04-01 - Keydesk (Photograph by James Hale/Database Manager)

2007-04-01 - Angled view from adjacent gallery (Photograph by James Hale/Database Manager)

2007-04-01 - Case (Photograph by James Hale/Database Manager)

Consoles

Main

Notes

2004-10-30 - Status Note: There 1978 -Database Manager

2004-10-30 - Renovated by Edwin A. Ohl c. 1978. 8' Fagotto in Pedal. -Database Manager

2005-02-24 - Refurbishment of the action by Edwin Ohl included replacement of wood tracker parts with aluminum. -Database Manager

2008-04-01 - Updated through online information from James Hale. -- Received OHS Citation 363 -Database Manager

2016-03-06 - According to information received via e-mail from Paul Marchesano, the citation was not awarded in a public ceremony. Presentation was made <i>de facto</i> via mailing the certificate to James Hale, the organist, who arranged its display. -Database Manager

2018-05-07 - The citation was sent to the church for display, but not presented in a public ceremony. -Database Manager

2021-03-02 - The organ suffered some damage in the early 2000s. A couple of hunderd pipes were stolen mainly from the bass pipework easily accessible behind the C side case panel, likely vandals who thought they could sell the pipes for scrap. It affects the Great and Choir as well as the Fagotto in the Pedal. -Paul R. Marchesano

2021-03-02 - This instrument is a three-manual tracker built by Hilbourne Roosevelt in 1880 in the Philadelphia shop. The acquisition of such a very fine instrument was not typical of Irish parishes in South Philadelhia. The obvious instigator of so fine a purchace was the composer of Catholic church music Albert Rosewig, a German national who served as Director of Music at St. Charles Borromeo for thirty-five years -- until his death in 1929. The organ is in exactly the same form as when it was built with the exception of an electric motor put in in 1904. It has regrettably suffered some damage in the early 2000s. A couple of hunderd pipes were stolen mainly from the bass. For what reason we do not know. It affects the Great and Choir as well as the Fagotto in the pedals. The instrument itself is nonetheless quite playable and is played every sunday. We need to raise money to restore the pipes. The bellows system is also in poor shape. All of the wooden ranks are complete. I have restored the Clarion down to middle C, but the Trumpet is too far gone. The accoustics of this church are excellent such that this could be a very important instrument. --Note submitted with stoplist in 2007, James Hale -Paul R. Marchesano

Stoplist

Pipe counts and material taken from 1996 OHS Handbook Source: 1996 OHS Convention Handbook & console 1996

GREAT ORGAN (58 notes) Open Diapason 16 (58 w&m pipes), Open Diapason 8 (58 m), Doppelflote 8 (58 w), Principal 4 (58 m), Waldflote 4 (58 m), Twelfth 2⅔ (58 m), Fifteenth 2 (58 m), Mixture III (196 m), Trumpet 8 (58 m), Clarion 4 (58 m)

SWELL ORGAN (58 notes, enclosed) Bourdon 16 (58 w pipes), Open Diapason 8 (58 m), Stopped Diapason 8 (58 w&m), Salicional 8 (58 w&m), Violina 4 (58 m), Harmonic Flute 4 (58 m), Flageolet 2 (58 m), Cornet II (116 m), Cornopean 8 (58 m), Oboe 8 (58 m), Tremolo

CHOIR ORGAN (58 notes) Violin Diapason 8 (58 m), Melodia 8 (58 w), Dulciana 8 (58 m), Rohrflute 4 (58 m), Nazard 3 (58 m), Piccolo 2 (58 m), Clarinet (TC) 8 (46 m)

PEDAL ORGAN (27 notes) Open Diapason 16 (27 w pipes), Bourdon 16 (27 w), Violin Cello 8 (27 w), Fagotto 16 (27 m)

COUPLERS (on/off thumb pistons) Swell to Pedal, Great to Pedal, Choir to Pedal, Swell to Great, Swell to Choir, Choir to Great

PEDAL MOVEMENTS Great piano (unlabeled, single acting), Great forte (unlabeled, single acting), Swell piano (unlabeled, single acting), Swell forte (unlabeled, single acting), Great to Pedal Reversible, Balanced Swell pedal

Typed stoplist and notes from James Hale, 2007. Some formatting and typos corrected 2021. Source: James Hale Date not recorded

Hilborne L. Roosevelt (Opus 73, 1880)
St. Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great
  16     Diapason
   8     Diapason
   8     Gamba
   8     Doppel flute
   4     Principal
   4     Wald flute 
   2 2/3 Twelfth
   2     Fifteenth
         Mixture III
   8     Trumpet 
   4     Clarion 

Swell
  16     Bourdon
   8     [Harmonic Flute?] (uncertain, perhaps a soft diapson, has a full harnonic sound) The end is broken off.
   8     Salicional 
   8     Stopped Diapson
   4     Violina
   4     Harmonic Flute
   2     Flageolet
         Cornet II
   8     Cornopean
   8     Oboe

Choir
   8     Violin Diapason
   8     Dulciana
   8     Melodia
   4     Rohr Flute
   3     Nazard
   2     Piccolo
   8     Clarinet

Pedal
  16     Open Diapason
  16     Bourdon
   8     Violin Cello
   8     Fagotto

Couplers        (all use pistons between the manuals)

   Swell to Pedal         
   Swell to Great         
   Choir to Great        
   Swell to Choir
   Great to Pedal
   Choir to Pedal

Presets 

I.    Great:  Doppel Flute, 2 Fifteenth, 2 2/3 Twelfth
II.   Great:  All stops
III.  Swell:  Stopped Diapason, Salicional
IV.   Swell:  All stops

Great to Pedal foot lever


[Received via e-mail from James Hale March 30, 2007.]
[Typographical spelling errors corrected 2021]

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