Dunkirk, New York
St. John's Church

Holtkamp organ, 1959
    Incorporating pipework from the existing 1888 Johnson
Holtkamp, 1963 Positive division (floating)

NOTES

The Johnson was installed in a right front chancel chamber, dating from the  
addition of the chancel in 1888, but the Holtkamp was installed in the right rear 
corner of the nave. The church is brick, dating from the 1850s, with a gothic 
interior and had excellent acoustics. The case, like St. James Cleveland, was a 
two-sided grouping of facade pipes, chromatic Principal natural-length basses 
facing forward toward the congregation, and the Dulciana basses on the side 
facing the choir, the latter all of equal length.  The only woodwork above the 
impost were two large corner posts decorated with religious heraldic shields. The 
upper portion of the Swell box was barely visible above the treble end of the 
Principal basses, the top of which was decorated with trefoil crenellations, and 
the swell shutters are partly visible, although the interior woodwork is stained 
dark walnut, and the church is also rather dark. The facade pipes are zinc, 
painted gray. 
 
Although I have not seen the organ since 1978, my recollection is the Principal, 
Dulciana, large-scale Subbass and Lieblich Gedackt were Holtkamp, the remainder 
of the pipework was apparently Johnson, and the Flautino was the old Great 12th. 
The Positive pipework was new spotted metal. The Copula was a large-scale wooden 
Gedackt, and at the time I knew it, of undetermined provenance.  This and the two 
pedal ranks were the only wood pipes in the organ.
 
The compact electric-action  keydesk (i.e. non-winded) had no pistons, but does 
have a crescendo pedal. 61/32 note divisions, except the Positive which is 56 
notes.  

[Posted to OHS Members List by Scot Huntington January 7, 2009.]