First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta

First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) located in the Midtown section of Atlanta, Georgia. First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1848, and it was Atlanta's first Presbyterian house of worship.[1] The original church building on Marietta Street was vacated in April 1916 and the property was sold to the U.S. government for the construction of the headquarters of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. The current church building on Peachtree Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. [2]

First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta
First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta (2020)
LocationAtlanta, Georgia, United States
DenominationPresbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The church, which hosts a congregation of 2,000 members, is located across 16th Street from the High Museum of Art.[3]

First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta's History

When the church was founded on January 8, 1848 there were only nineteen Presbyterians worshiping at the log building known as the male academy. "This church was incorporated in February, 1854." "The name under which it was first incorporated was the 'First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta,' and it was the only Presbyterian church in the city." The founding pastor of First Presbyterian Church was Dr. John S. Wilson. In 1915 the church completed a Sunday School building at the new location where the first service was held on December 5, 1915. The new sanctuary, which was designed by Walter T. Downing (1865-1918), was completed in 1919. The first stained glass windows, some by Tiffany, were installed then and over the next few years.

First Presbyterian Sunday morning worship service was broadcast on local WSB (AM) radio. The only time the service on the radio was suspended was September 3, 1939, when the United Kingdom declared war on Germany and brought the world to the brink of World War II. In 1973, the church received its first black member since the days of slavery. Now the church is led by Dr. Tony Sundermeier who became pastor in 2014.

Purpose

"It is our purpose as a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), to be and become a community of grace a people of praise a loving congregation rooted in tradition, open to the Spirit disciples who proclaim and serve the Lord Jesus Christ in all we say and do to the glory of God for the salvation of humankind for the healing and hope of the city, and for the reconciliation and peace of the world."[4]

Organ
Sanctuary Organ at FPC Atlanta

After finishing the church in 1919 the first organ was constructed by Henry Pilcher's Sons in 1919 with 4 manuals. In 1920 the Echo- and Solo-sections were added, and the organ had 48 stops. In 1969 organ builder M. P. Möller (Hagerstown/MD) built a completely new organ, using some stops from the Pilcher's organ from 1919. In 1992 the instrument was restored and enlarged. In 2018 the instrument again was cleaned and restored and newly enlarged by German organ builder Klais (Bonn) and US organ builder A. E. Schlueter.[5] The Instrument has got 112 ranks (6.397 pipes) on 10 divisions, with a control system by Syndyne.[6]

Specifications

Main Organ (Chancel)

I Manual C–c4
Choir Organ
1.Principal8'
2.Hohlflöte8'
3.Flauto Dolce8'
4.Flûte céleste8'
5.Cello8'
6.Octave4'
7.Koppelflöte4'
8.Flachflöte2'
9.Mixture III
10.Posaune16'
11.Posaune8'
12.Schalmei8'
13.Trompette (en chamade)8'
Tremolo

Crown Positive
14.Principal8'
15.Prestant4'
16.Spillflöte4'
17.Nasat22/3'
18.Hohlpfeife2'
19.Septime11/7'
20.Sesquialtera II22/3'
21.Scharf III
22.Dulzian16'
23.Clarinette8'
Tremolo
II Great Organ C–c4
24.Contra Bourdon32'
25.Principal16'
26.Quinte102/3'
27.Principal8'
28.Flûte harmonique8'
29.Gambe8'
30.Holzbourdon8'
31.Quinte51/3'
32.Octave4'
33.Spitzflöte4'
34.Cornet II-III
35.Superoctave2'
36.Mixture IV
37.Trompete8'
III Swell Organ C–c4
38.Rohrgedackt16'
39.Geigenprincipal8'
40.Rohrgedackt8'
41.Salicional8'
42.Vox céleste8'
43.Principal4'
44.Nachthorn4'
45.Nazard22/3'
46.Piccolo2'
47.Tierce13/5'
48.Larigot11/3'
49.Progressio II-III
50.Trompette16'
51.Trompette8'
52.Hautbois8'
53.Vox Humana8'
54.Clairon4'
IV Solo Organ C–c4
55.Doppelflöte8'
56.Viola pomposa8'
57.Viola pomposa céleste8'
58.Flûte octaviante4'
59.Grand Cornet V8'
60.Posaune16'
61.English Tuba8'
62.Tuba Clairon4'
63.Trompette (en chamade)8'


Orchestral C–c4
64.Principal16'
65.Rohrgedackt16'
66.Gemshorn16'
67.Rohrgedackt8'
68.Flûte harmonique8'
69.Cello8'
70.Streicherschwebung8'
71.Quinte51/3'
72.Flûte octaviante4'
73.Posaune16'
74.Trompette16'
75.Posaune8'
76.Trompette8'
77.Clarinette8'
78.Vox Humana8'
79.Trompette (en chamade)8'
Chimes
Pedal Organ C–g1
80.Contra Bourdon32'
81.Principal16'
82.Violon16'
83.Rohrgedackt16'
84.Bourdon16'
85.Quinte102/3'
86.Octave8'
87.Spitzflöte8'
88.Cello8'
89.Bourdon8'
90.Rohrgedackt8'
91.Terz62/5'
92.Quinte51/3'
93.Bourdon4'
94.Septime44/7'
95.Choralbass4'
96.Spitzflöte4'
97.None35/9'
98.Spitzflöte2'
99.Bombarde32'
100.Holzposaune16'
101.Posaune16'
102.Trompette16'
103.Trompette8'
104.Clairon4'
105.Trompette (en chamade)8'
106.Trompette (en chamade)4'
I Great C–c4
1.Principal8'
2.Gedackt8'
3.Octave4'
4.Fifteenth2'
5.Sifflet1'
6.Mixture II-IV
II Swell C–c4
7.Gemshorn céleste8'
8.Gemshorn8'
9.Hohlflöte4'
10.Rohrnasat22/3'
11.Principal2'
12.Blockflöte2'
13.Scharf III
14.Trompette8'
Tremolo
III Echo C–c4
15.Gemshorn16'
16.Gedackt8'
17.Aeoline8'
18.Gamba8'
19.Gamba céleste8'
20.Fugara4'
21.Krummhorn16'
22.Orchestral Oboe8'
23.Musette4'
Tremolo
Pedal C–g1
24.Subbass16'
25.Bourdon16'
26.Bourdon8'
27.Gedackt8'
28.Rohrflöte4'
29.Fagott16'
30.Trompette8'
  • Couplers
    • 8'-Couplers: CH/GT, POS/GT, CH/SW, POS/SW, CH/SOLO, POS/SOLO, GT/CH, GT/POS, SW/CH, SW/POS, SW/GT, SOLO/CH, SOLO/POS, SOLO/GT, SOLO/SW; GT(Gal)/CH, GT(Gal)/POS, GT(Gal)/GT, GT(Gal)/SW, GT(Gal)/SOLO, SW(Gal)/CH, SW(Gal)/POS, SW(Gal)/GT, SW(Gal)/SW, SW(Gal)/SOLO, ECHO(Gal)/GT, ECHO(Gal)/CH, ECHO(Gal)/POS, ECHO(Gal)/SW, ECHO(Gal)/SOLO; CH/Ped, POS/Ped, GT/Ped, SW/Ped, SOLO/Ped; GT(Gal)/Ped, SW(Gal)/Ped, ECHO(Gal)/Ped
    • 16'-Couplers: CH/GT, POS/GT, SW/CH, SW/POS, SW/GT, SOLO/CH, SOLO/POS, SOLO/GT; GT(Gal)/GT, SW(Gal)/GT, ECHO(Gal)/GT; GT(Gal)/GT(Gal), SW(Gal)/SW(Gal), ECHO(Gal)/ECHO(Gal)
    • 4'-Couplers: CH/GT, POS/GT, SW/CH, SW/POS, SW/GT, SOLO/CH, SOLO/POS, SOLO/GT; GT(Gal)/GT, SW(Gal)/GT, ECHO(Gal)/GT; GT(Gal)/GT(Gal), SW(Gal)/SW(Gal), ECHO(Gal)/ECHO(Gal); CH/Ped, POS/Ped, GT/Ped, SW/Ped, SOLO/Ped; GT(Gal)/Ped, SW(Gal)/Ped, ECHO(Gal)/Ped
    • ORCHESTRAL-Couplers: ORCH/I, ORCH/II, ORCH/III, ORCH/IV, ORCH/PED
  • Effect stops: Zimbelstern, Tower Bells
  • Special Features
    • Full record playback on Touch Screen
    • Programmable Crescendo, 4 different per user
    • Up to 50 users with 100 levels of memory each
    • 2 blank pistons that allow programming non standard coupling at any pitch
    • Sostenuto
    • All Swells to Swell
    • Registerfessel
    • Pedal Divide (Settable Divide, default C13)
    • French Manual Transfer

References

  1. Wallace Putnam Reed (1889). History of Atlanta, Georgia: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. D. Mason & Co. p. 390. First Presbyterian Church Of Atlanta.
  2. "The New Bank Meets the "World War"". Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  3. "First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta". Home & Abroad. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  4. http://www.firstpresatl.org/about/purpose.html
  5. See information on the webpage of the German organ building company Klais (seen June 20, 2018)
  6. For specifications see webpage of the organ builder Klais (Germany) and webpage of Jens Korndoerfer
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