The Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in Lower Manhattan will unveil its restored 1868 Henry Erben pipe organ on June 11, showcasing artwork that was hidden beneath layers of paint for more than a century.
During the restoration, which began with the organ's disassembly and transport to workshops in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, conservators discovered original hand-painted artwork beneath layers of gold paint on the facade of the pipes, according to the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral. The designs, signed "PS Keeler Painter Nov 5 1868," were recreated as part of the restoration.
The restored artwork, believed to have been inspired by stained-glass windows across from the choir loft, will be displayed publicly for the first time during the unveiling.
Erben's three-manual instrument contains nearly 2,500 pipes and is considered the largest surviving intact example of the New York organbuilder's work. Installed shortly after the Civil War to replace an earlier Erben organ destroyed in an 1866 fire, it has remained in its original choir loft location ever since.
Church officials describe the instrument as one of the last large, unaltered examples of 19th-century American organ building. Constructed at a cost of $15,000 in 1868 and transported by horse and carriage, the organ has accompanied generations of liturgies, concerts, and other events at Old St. Patrick's, which was designated a minor basilica in 2010 and remains one of New York City's most significant Catholic landmarks.
The organ restoration, one of the largest preservation efforts undertaken at the church, has been supported by the nonprofit Friends of the Erben Organ, whose honorary chair is filmmaker Martin Scorsese, a former altar server at the church.
Previous fundraising efforts estimated the project's total cost at roughly $2 million. Proceeds from the June 11 event will support the final phase of the organ's restoration and the basilica’s music program.
The event, titled "Pipes of Splendor: Unveiling," will take place at 7 p.m. at the historic Catholic basilica on Mott Street and will feature a concert showcasing the instrument's restored sound and newly revealed decorative facade.
The program will feature members of the Basilica Schola and guest musicians led by Jared Lamenzo, the basilica's organist and music director. Organizers will also offer limited loft seating next to the instrument, followed by a reception.