Organ History

The Pipe Organs of St. Peter's Church:

1812 The first organ installed in St. Peter's was built by the New York builder William Redstone for the sum of $1800. An organist was hired, and to the sexton's duties was added "blowing the organ bellows," for which he was paid $25 a year. In the same year Mr. Redstone built an organ for St. George's Church, Schenectady.
1835 Messrs. E. and G. G. Hook of Boston built a new organ, Op. 20, of two manuals and twenty-four stops for St. Peter's. A report in the Albany Evening Journal describes this organ in glowing terms, and says, "The cost, we understand, was three thousand dollars." St. George's Church, Schenectady, purchased Hook's Op. 38 instrument a few years later.
1860 In this, the year following the construction of the current church building, Johnson and Son, organbuilders of Westfield, Massachusetts, built "an organ both sweet and powerful, which was capable of enlargement and enrichment whenever desired." The organ was in the rear balcony of the church.
1880 The organ, now in "maimed and shattered condition," was rebuilt by the Hook and Hastings company.
1886 Hilborne Rossevelt, organbuilder, supplied an organ of three manuals and twenty-seven stops for the newly prepared organ chamber at the front of the church. A plaque commemorating this instrument is on the wall next to the pulpit. At this time a vested choir of men and boys, which would sing from the front of the church, was instituted.
1895 Six new stops were added.
1921 E. M. Skinner Organ Co. built the Battershall Memorial Organ, a sister instrument to the one recently reinstalled in Westminster Presbyterian Church, Albany. This organ included an Echo Division, which spoke into the church from the clerestory window in the tower.
1957 The organ was redesigned and rebuilt by the M. P. Moller Co., Hagerstown, Maryland.
1976 A new organ was built by the Schlicker Organ Co., Buffalo, New York. The design included several stops prepared for but not installed.
1987 The organ was completed by Gregory Hand, Ralph Blakely, and the Carey Organ Company.

 

Specifications of the Organ at St. Peter's Episcopal Church:

1977 - Schlicker Organ Company
1987 - Gregory Hand / Ralph Blakely, organbuilders
1992 - The Carey Organ Company

Great -
61 notes		 Positiv -
61 notes		 Swell -
61  notes		 Pedal -
32 notes		 Antiphonal
61 notes
16' Principal 16' Quintadena 16' Lieblich Gedeckt 32' Untersatz (ext.) 8'  Principal
8'  Octave 8'  Principal 8'  Principal 16' Principal 8'  Rohrgedeckt
8'  Chimney Flute 8'  Holzgedeckt 8'  Rohrfloete 16' Subbass 8'  Salicional
8'  Spitzfloete 4'  Octave 8'  Viola 16' Quintadena (Pos.) 8'  Voix Celeste
4'  Octave 4'  Rohrfloete 8'  Celeste (from FF) 8'  Octave (ext.) 4'  Octave
4'  Hohlfloete 2-2/3' Nasat 8'  Flute Celeste 8'  Gemshorn 2'  Gemshorn
3-1/5' Grossterz 2'  Octave 4'  Octave 8'  Gedeckt 1-1/3' Klein Nasat
2-2/3' Quint 2'  Blockfloete 4'  Koppelfloete 4'  Choral Bass II-III Mixture
2'  Octave 1-3/5' Terz 2'  Nachthorn 4'  Waldfloete 8'  Trumpet
1-3/5'  Terz 1-1/3' Klein Nasat II Sesquialtera 2'  Hohlfloete
VI  Mixture IV Mixture IV-V Mixture II  Rauschquint Antiphonal Ped
III  Cymbel III Terz-Zimbel 16' Fagott IV Mixture 16' Gedecktbass (ext.)
16' Posaune 16' Basson 8'  Trompette 32' Contraposaune (1-12 el) 16' Fagott (ext.)
8'  Trumpet 8'  Trompete 8'  Oboe-Schalmei 16' Bombarde 8'  Trompeta Real
4'  Clarion 8'  Krummhorn 8'  Musette 8'  Trumpet (ext.) 8'  Antiphonal to Pedal
8'  Trompeta Real 4'  Rohrschalmei 4'  Clarion 4'  Schalmei
8'  Swell to Great Tremolo Tremolo 2'  Cornet (ext.)
8'  Positiv to Great 8' Trompeta Real 8'  Great to Pedal Zimbelstern (toe stud)
8'  Antiphonal to Great 8'  Swell to Positiv 8'  Swell to Pedal
Antiphonal Tremolo 8'  Antiphonal to Positiv 8'  Positiv to Pedal
Chimes 8'  Antiphonal to Pedal

The Organ is maintained by the Carey Organ Company, Troy, New York.