Frank Roosevelt (Opus 472, 1891)

Location:

First Presbyterian Church
1 Symphony Circle
Buffalo, NY 14201 US
Church
Organ ID: 6840

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Status and Condition:

  • This instrument's location type is: Presbyterian Churches
  • The organ has been rebuilt or substantially revised.
  • The organ's condition is unknown.
We received the most recent update for this instrument's status from Database Manager on July 18, 2018.

Technical Details:

  • Chests: Information unknown or not applicable
  • 43 ranks. 3 manuals. 39 stops.
All:
We received the most recent update for this division from Database Manager on July 18, 2018.
Main:
  • Manuals: 3
  • Stops: 39
We received the most recent update for this console from Database Manager on July 18, 2018.
Scot Huntington on March 01, 2021:

The ledger book of Charles Viner & Son held in the American Organ Archives lists the stoplist of every organ Charles Viner Sr. worked on, including those of Johnson & Son while he worked there between 1890 and 1896. Viner bought the assets of the failed Garret House company ca. 1898-99 in Buffalo, and the first entry of a new Viner instrument is in 1900 and continues the House numbering with No. 146. The entry for First Presbyterian is No. 153, likely in 1901 or 1902 at the latest. The original maker of the organs Viner altered, moved, or rebuilt, is not identified in the ledger entries.

The specification indicates this had tubular-pneumatic action and "individual valves". While the Roosevelt would have had ventil action as well, it is not clear from the entry if Viner replaced the windchests with ventil chests of his own design, (very much like the Hillgreen, Lane & Co. action but more elegantly built), or simply converted the Roosevelt primaries to tubular action and retained the Roosevelt windchests. There are other anomalies that would not have been typical for Roosevelt and suggest additional Viner modifications: enclosure of the Great pipework with the Choir as well as a Great-Choir tremulant, (this could suggest a change to the wind system), and Great to Pedal at Octaves coupler. While the main entry is in ink, a subsequent entry in pencil notes the scales of the pipework in inches (in other entries Viner typically records such details in standard scale numbers). A final pencil notation indicates the organ was rebuilt for the "Un. Presby. Ch. Bfflo in 1925" [University Pres.?], although the next database entry for this church states the organ was rebuilt and enlarged by Austin in 1915 incorporating almost the entirety of this stoplist.

We received the most recent update for this note from Scot Huntington on March 01, 2021.

Database Manager on January 19, 2007:

Updated through on-line information from David Snyder.

We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on April 09, 2020.

Database Manager on October 30, 2004:

Rebuilt and enlarged in 1915 by Austin.

We received the most recent update for this note from Database Manager on April 09, 2020.

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