National Register of Historic Places

Beth Israel Synagogue

Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
April 12, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82001921

About this property

Beth Israel Synagogue is a historic former Jewish synagogue building at 238 Columbia Street in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in 1903, it was the first and principal synagogue to serve the East Cambridge area, and is a fine local example of Romanesque Revival architecture. Now converted into residential condominiums, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The former Beth Israel Synagogue stands in The Port neighborhood of eastern Cambridge, on the east side of Columbia Street, between Hampshire and Market Streets. It is a two-story brick building with a gabled roof and flanking square towers. Its Romanesque Revival styling includes bands of narrow round-arch windows and a large Syrian arch sheltering the main entrance. Brick corbelling adorns the eaves of the pyramidal tower roofs, and is featured in multiple bands at the base of the front gable. The building was designed by Nathan Douglass and completed in 1903. The known history of Jewish worship in East Cambridge begins in 1898, with the founding of the Sephardic Congregation Anshai Sfard. It originally met in private residences. Congregation Beth Israel was founded in 1900, and construction was begun on this building in 1901. In 1906 the congregation divided over doctrinal differences, resulting in the founding of Congregation Agudath Ashkenazim. Congregation Anshai Sfard merged with Beth Israel in 1957. In 1962 Beth Israel and Agudath Ashkenazim merged to form Temple Beth Shalom of Cambridge, and the new congregation chose to use the Temple Ashkenaz building on Tremont Street in Cambridge, now widely known as the Tremont Street Shul. By 1982, the Beth Israel building, no longer used as a synagogue, was taken over by the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The former synagogue building currently houses condominium units. National Register of Historic Places listings in Cambridge, Massachusetts Media related to Former Beth Israel Synagogue (Cambridge, Massachusetts) at Wikimedia Commons

Location

238 Columbia St.
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.36917, -71.09613

Categories

EUROPEAN
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

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0.1 mi
George Close Company Building
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0.1 mi
Lamson, Rufus, House
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0.2 mi
Mason, Josiah, Jr., House
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0.2 mi
East Cambridge Savings Bank
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0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston – Cambridge Lines
1775Revolutionary War
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Beth Israel Synagogue listed on the National Register?

Beth Israel Synagogue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 12, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Beth Israel Synagogue?

Beth Israel Synagogue is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Beth Israel Synagogue?

The period of significance for Beth Israel Synagogue is recorded as the industrial era.

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