St. Dominic Catholic Church, Washington, D.C., announces the rededication concert of its Hilborne L. Roosevelt organ, Opus 290 from 1885, on May 8 at 7:30 p.m., featuring Nathan Laube. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. with Solemn Vespers; 6:45 p.m. presentation by Michael Hart, “The Roosevelts, America’s celebrated nineteenth-century organbuilders”; 7:30 p.m. concert; 8:30 p.m. reception.
For information: [email protected]
https://stdominicchurch.org/roosevelt-organ
Hilborne L. Roosevelt built the organ in 1885. Lewis & Hitchcock did a rebuild in 1929; Newcomer Organ Company, 1971–72; R. A. Daffer, Inc., 1989.
In 2025 the Di Gennaro-Hart Organ Company completed an extensive project on the instrument. All solid-state control systems were replaced with new state-of-the-art equivalents, all reed registers were restored, and tuning slides were replaced on all metal flue pipework. Safe service access throughout the organ was improved with new ladders and lighting, and the entire instrument was thoroughly cleaned.
A new terraced console, designed by Michael Hart, features oblique-style Roosevelt drawknobs engraved in the Roosevelt font, with much of the woodwork rendered as replica Roosevelt millwork. A powerful Tuba stop, built by a pipe shop whose lineage traces directly to the Roosevelt firm, was also added. A replica Roosevelt nameplate was installed on the new console—for the first time in 90 years the Roosevelt name is back on the instrument. Also in 2025, the painting and stenciling of the façade pipes was completed by Buzard Pipe Organ Builders and Marylou Davis.
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