Temple Emanu-El
National Register of Historic Places

Temple Emanu-El

Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana
Listed
July 10, 2002
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
02000724

About this property

Temple Emanu-El is a historic former Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Helena, Montana, in the United States. Completed in 1891, the building was the first synagogue to be constructed between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Portland, Oregon. The once-thriving Jewish community of Helena declined to the point that by the 1930s they could no longer maintain the building, and it was sold to the State of Montana, which added a second floor, converted it to office space and removed most religious symbolism from the building, though kept the unique stained glass windows. Eventually, the building fell into disuse by the state other than storage space, and so it was purchased by the Catholic Diocese of Helena, then sold back to the Montana Jewish project which has owned it since 2022 for use as a center for Montana's Jewish community.

Location

515 N. Ewing St.
Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Montana
46.58991, -112.03259

Federal Designation

The National Register of Historic Places, administered by the National Park Service, is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical, architectural, archaeological, engineering, or cultural significance. Listing on the National Register recognizes a property's importance to American history but does not place restrictions on private owners; it does, however, make properties eligible for federal historic preservation tax incentives and enables consideration in federal planning decisions. This property is recorded in the National Register under reference number 02000724. It was listed on July 10, 2002.

Categories

ETHNIC HERITAGEEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTRELIGIONARCHITECTURE
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.

Nearby Historic Sites

Cathedral of Saint Helena
Industrial
0 mi

Nearby Battles

Helena Saloon District Killings, MT
1874Frontier
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Temple Emanu-El listed on the National Register?

Temple Emanu-El was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 10, 2002.

What type of historic resource is Temple Emanu-El?

Temple Emanu-El is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Temple Emanu-El?

The period of significance for Temple Emanu-El is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1891.

Can I research the history near Temple Emanu-El?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Temple Emanu-El will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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