National Historic Landmark

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue

Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina
Listed
April 3, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78002499

About this property

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (Hebrew: קהל קדוש בית אלוהים, lit. 'Holy Congregation House of God', also known as K. K. Beth Elohim, or more simply Congregation Beth Elohim) is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located in Charleston, South Carolina, in the United States. Having founded the congregation in 1749, it was later claimed to be the first Reform synagogue located in the United States. The congregation's first synagogue, in the Georgian Revival style, was built in 1793–1794 and destroyed in an 1838 fire that ravished Charleston's central business district, impacting 500 properties over approximately 150 acres (61 ha). The current architecturally significant Greek Revival synagogue located at 90 Hasell Street, completed in 1840, was designed by Cyrus L. Warner and built by enslaved African descendants owned by David Lopez Jr, a prominent slaveowner and proponent of the Confederate States of America. The congregation is one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the United States. The congregation is nationally significant as the place where ideas resembling Reform Judaism were first evinced.

Location

90 Hasell St.
Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina
32.78242, -79.93263

Categories

ARCHITECTURERELIGION
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

St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church
Industrial
0 mi
Market Hall and Sheds
Industrial
0.2 mi
Huguenot Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Powder Magazine
Industrial
0.2 mi
Circular Congregational Church and Parish House
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Charleston Apr-May 1780
1780Revolutionary War
0.2 mi
Siege of Charleston
1780Revolutionary War
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue listed on the National Register?

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue?

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue?

The period of significance for Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Synagogue is recorded as the industrial era.

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