Bergen Evangelical Presbyterian Church
38 South Lake Avenue
Bergen,
NY
14416 US
Sanctuary; front
Organ ID: 67717
The Viner & Son organ existed here in original condition until it was rebuilt with neo-baroque tendencies by Schlicker in the mid-70s. While the church was originally Congregational, the building was sold to the Presbyterians at a date yet to be confirmed. Reportedly, the structure was moved down the road, probably at the time of the sale. Schlicker replaced the original wind system, (double-rise reservoir, wooden wind trunks), with two floating top regulators and flexible wind lines. The wind is now unsteady.
The Viner action was quite unusual for its day. While it had mechanical action, it had ventil chests instead of tone channels with sliders. The action was very similar to that made by Hillgreen, Lane & Co. but a little more elegant. The valves are round disks on pivoting arms mounted on side bars. The note wires pass through the chest front to back with adjustment nuts at each valve arm. Access is through removable bottom boards and stop control is by ventils that energize or exhaust the stop channels. The channeling from the valve to the pipe toehole through the side bar and toeboard act like an expansion chamber to cushion the wind entry into the pipe foot. This is the oldest form of this style action currently known to this author.
The casework was originally quartered oak with gilded facade pipes, now the entire affair has been clumsily covered in white paint stem to stern. The Spencer blower was installed by Viner in 1925, the organ being originally powered by a Ross Water Motor connected to the reservoir feeders.
Currently the organ suffers mechanically and is in need of routine maintenance to return it to reliable working order.
Church exterior: facade: Photograph from an archival source: Church Facebook page (Karen Millspaugh), submitted by Jim Stettner. Taken on 2018-09-18
Organ case: Photograph by Scot Huntington. Taken on 2021-05-25
Console and combinations: Swell on the left, Great on the right (piano, forte): Photograph by Scot Huntington. Taken on 2021-05-25
Builder's nameplate: Photograph by Scot Huntington. Taken on 2021-05-25
Great: one bottom board removed, showing ventil cell for the Octave 4' (bass) with valve, spring, action pull wire, and adjustment nut: Photograph by Scot Huntington. Taken on 2021-05-25
Center: Bass backfall tails for Great and Swell bass; Left: Swell stopaction traces from console, showing pins for on and off stops: Photograph by Scot Huntington. Taken on 2021-05-25
Great pipework, looking towards C-side: Photograph by Scot Huntington. Taken on 2021-05-25
Swell pipework, looking towards C-side: Photograph by Scot Huntington. Taken on 2021-05-25
Background: Ped. 16' trebles; Center: treble-side action backfalls and depth adjustment knobs, Sw. rollerboard; Bottom: tops of Schlicker reservoirs: Photograph by Scot Huntington. Taken on 2021-05-25
Sanctuary interior with organ in front: Photograph by Alden Snell. Taken on 2021-07-11
Keydesk: Great stops: Photograph by Alden Snell. Taken on 2021-07-11
Keydesk: Swell & Pedal stops: Photograph by Alden Snell. Taken on 2021-07-11
Couplers over Swell keys: Photograph by Alden Snell. Taken on 2021-07-11
