St. Columba Organ Specifications
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The parish of St. Columba was founded in 1845 and its present building was erected in the same year. It is one of the oldest extant Catholic churches in New York City.
Organ Specifications:
► II/14 Reuben Midmer & Sons (1921)
• II/12 Ferris & Stuart (1856); elec. by unknown builder
• II/12 Thomas Robjohn (1846)
Reuben Midmer & Sons
Merrick, N.Y. (1921)
Electro-pneumatic action
2 manuals, 15 stops, 14 ranks
The present organ in St. Columba's Church was installed in 1921 by Reuben Midmer & Sons. There are four shallow cases fronting the organ.Great Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes 8 Open Diapason 4 Octave 8 Melodia 4 Flute d'Amour 8 Dulciana Chimes Swell Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed 16 Bourdon 4 Flute Harmonic 8 Viol Diapason 8 Oboe 8 Stopped Diapason 8 Vox Humana 8 Salicional Tremolo Pedal Organ – 32 notes 16 Open Diapason 16 Lieblich Gedeckt SW 16 Bourdon Couplers Great to Pedal Great 4' Swell to Pedal Swell 16', 4' Swell to Great 16', 8', 4' Swell Unison On/Off [piston] Ferris & Stuart
New York City (1856)
Mechanical action; later electrified (date unknown), poss. by J.H. & C.S. Odell
2 manuals, 12 stops
According to the 1861 American Musical Directory, Richard M. Ferris revoiced the Thomas Robjohn organ in 1856. The organ had "2 banks keys, 12 stops, 2 octaves pedals". Levi U. Stuart, who was partnered with Ferris, lists the organ in an 1872 brochure. The organ was electrified at an unknown time, possibly by J.H. & C.S. Odell of New York City. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.Thomas Robjohn
New York City (1846)
Mechanical action
2 manuals, 12 stops
The original organ in St. Columba's church was built in 1845 by Thomas Robjohn of New York City, who was subcontracted by Firth & Hall, another organbuilding firm in New York City. There were two manuals and 12 stops, plus a pedal of 24 notes. Specifications of this organ have not yet been located.Sources:
http://www.nycago.org/Organs/NYC/html/StColumbaRC.html
American Musical Directory. New York: Thomas Hutchinson, 1861.
Dunlap, David W. From Abyssinian to Zion: A Guide to Manhattan's Houses of Worship. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.
Mahanor, Tali. Specifications of the Reuben Midmer & Sons organ.
Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.
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