Grand Organ Recordings: Charles Schwab's New York Residence

[barnettrp21122]

The internet is a miraculous thing. Credits printed on a record label can be researched in seconds nowadays.
I recently found an interesting (to me) 12-inch Victor Scroll record of organist Archer Gibson playing two light-classical selections:

"The Bells of St Mary's" (Archer Gibson, Organist) https://app.box.com/s/ahm1sji65p1247v7ort6obthtnsv4927 (Click on link to listen)

Old Irish Air (Danny Boy) Archer Gibson, Organist https://app.box.com/s/9331rif89qbtjtbahavqftlji97zbuik (Click on link to listen)


As the label states, these were recordings of the "Grand Organ at Charles M. Schwab's New York Residence."
Here's a link to a wonderful article about this long-gone mansion:

http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/socia ... is-mansion

charles_m._schwab_house-1.jpg (88.7 KiB) Viewed 2607 times

Schwab Grand Staircase with Organ.jpg (72.05 KiB) Viewed 2607 times

Archer Gibson was the organist to the elite of New York City in his day.http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Gibson-Archer.htm

The history of Charles Schwab's life and the incredible mansion that took up an entire New York City block is very interesting. I know a little more now, thanks to old record-collecting! I hope you enjoy the links and music too!
Bob

[larryh]

Beautiful recording. Makes me glad I splurged for some Bose Computer Speakers.. They really shown on this... Quite a good recording for the period. A pity so many great homes have disappeared in the name of progress?

Larry

[Wolfe]

The acoustics in the house sound like they might have been pretty good.

Don't think I've heard Danny Boy on the organ. Made the song palatable again !

[Victrolacollector]

What has been built in the place of this home? When was it demolished. We had the same problem here, a big chain pharmacy wanted the corner lot where the old Riley Bank was located in East Chicago, Indiana, this bank was of historical significance because John Dillinger made a robbery there.
All of the beautiful marble is gone. I think so much of our history is being demolished for these cheap strip malls and buildings.

[Henry]

At the end of the excellent article on the Schwab mansion (see link) there is a photograph of the Schwab Apartments building which occupies the site today.

Charles Schwab (BTW, no relation to the brokerage house) is well-remembered in the Lehigh Valley, at least among those of us interested in local history. Among his many talents, he was an amateur tenor and an early supporter of the Bethlehem Bach Choir, which gave the first American performances of the B Minor Mass and the St. John Passion, in the Central Moravian Church (1805). The Bach Choir annual May festival is fast approaching; if anyone is interested in details, visit the web site (http://www.bach.org/festival.php). Mrs. Schwab (Eurana) was a native of Weatherly, PA, and gave the town money to build a substantial school, which stands, now unused, in a prominent location in the town. The two statues mentioned in the article, properly Metallurgical Science and Metallurgical Worker, survive today; they were given by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation (BSCo.) to the Allentown Art Museum. Factual correction: BSCo. did not go bankrupt in the 1980s, but rather on October 17, 2001; it ceased to exist on May 7, 2003, just shy of its 100th anniversary.

Many thanks for posting the link to the article, as well as the organ recordings. The article covers the Schwab mansion rather well. I have visited the Schwab mansion in his hometown of Loretto, PA, now occupied by a Catholic order (Schwab was a devout Catholic); he also owned a private railroad car named "Loretto," which survives today in North Carolina (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63-SjIxPmMQ. Schwab's home in Bethlehem, in French chateau style but extremely modest by comparison to the Loretto and NYC mansions, stands today on Delaware Avenue, divided into apartments.

[howardpgh]

This is a picture of the Charles Schwab mansion in North Braddock PA near where I work.
This was built by Andrew Carnegie for Charles Schwab who was an executive at Carnegie Steel Edgar Thompson Works.
A few blocks away is the first Carnegie Library.

[barnettrp21122]

That's a very nice picture! I wonder if the house is privately owned or not. Thanks for posting this!
Bob

[De Soto Frank]

At the end of the excellent article on the Schwab mansion (see link) there is a photograph of the Schwab Apartments building which occupies the site today.

Charles Schwab (BTW, no relation to the brokerage house) is well-remembered in the Lehigh Valley, at least among those of us interested in local history. Among his many talents, he was an amateur tenor and an early supporter of the Bethlehem Bach Choir, which gave the first American performances of the B Minor Mass and the St. John Passion, in the Central Moravian Church (1805). The Bach Choir annual May festival is fast approaching; if anyone is interested in details, visit the web site (http://www.bach.org/festival.php). Mrs. Schwab (Eurana) was a native of Weatherly, PA, and gave the town money to build a substantial school, which stands, now unused, in a prominent location in the town. The two statues mentioned in the article, properly Metallurgical Science and Metallurgical Worker, survive today; they were given by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation (BSCo.) to the Allentown Art Museum. Factual correction: BSCo. did not go bankrupt in the 1980s, but rather on October 17, 2001; it ceased to exist on May 7, 2003, just shy of its 100th anniversary.

Many thanks for posting the link to the article, as well as the organ recordings. The article covers the Schwab mansion rather well. I have visited the Schwab mansion in his hometown of Loretto, PA, now occupied by a Catholic order (Schwab was a devout Catholic); he also owned a private railroad car named "Loretto," which survives today in North Carolina (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63-SjIxPmMQ. Schwab's home in Bethlehem, in French chateau style but extremely modest by comparison to the Loretto and NYC mansions, stands today on Delaware Avenue, divided into apartments.

Interesting about the connection with Loretto, PA.

My Dad's family hails from that region, and belonged to the parish of St. Michael the Archangel (now a basilica), founded by Russian prince turned priest, Demetrius Gallitzin. My family pushed into that wilderness of PA before the Revolutionary War.



Frank

[Henry]

Interesting about the connection with Loretto, PA.

My Dad's family hails from that region, and belonged to the parish of St. Michael the Archangel (now a basilica), founded by Russian prince turned priest, Demetrius Gallitzin. My family pushed into that wilderness of PA before the Revolutionary War.



Frank

Thanks for the info, Frank. I wondered where the name "Gallitzin" (as in Gallitzin, PA) came from; now I know.

[De Soto Frank]

Interesting about the connection with Loretto, PA.

My Dad's family hails from that region, and belonged to the parish of St. Michael the Archangel (now a basilica), founded by Russian prince turned priest, Demetrius Gallitzin. My family pushed into that wilderness of PA before the Revolutionary War.



Frank

Thanks for the info, Frank. I wondered where the name "Gallitzin" (as in Gallitzin, PA) came from; now I know.

I believe he was known as "the Apostle of the Alleghenies", and at one time, his church, St. Michael's, was reportedly the only Catholic church between Baltimore and St. Louis.

His story is pretty fascinating.