Prince Street Synagogue
Encyclopedia
Prince Street Synagogue in the Springfield/Belmont
neighborhood, is the oldest synagogue building
still standing in Newark, New Jersey
.
building was built in 1884 for Oheb Shalom Congregation
. The congregation has since moved to South Orange
. The building served as the home of the Metropolitan Baptist Church from 1940 to 1993. In 1990 it was slated for destruction as part of land clearance to enable the construction of Newark's Society Hill housing development. Historic preservationist Mark W. Gordon led a movement ot preserve the historic building.
It has been restored by the Newark Conservancy and is now used as a nature center. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The brick, Moorish Revival synagogue features windows with Horseshoe arch
es, an entrance arch with red and white Voussoir
s, and twin towers topped by modest domes.
Springfield/Belmont, Newark, New Jersey
Springfield/Belmont is a Central Ward neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, in the United States. It is unofficially bounded by South Orange Avenue in the north, Avon Avenue in the south, Martin Luther King Boulevards and University Avenues on the east, and Bergen Street in the west.At one point,...
neighborhood, is the oldest synagogue building
Oldest synagogues in the United States
The designation of the oldest synagogue in the United States requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest congregation...
still standing in Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
.
History
The modest, Moorish RevivalMoorish Revival
Moorish Revival or Neo-Moorish is one of the exotic revival architectural styles that were adopted by architects of Europe and the Americas in the wake of the Romanticist fascination with all things oriental...
building was built in 1884 for Oheb Shalom Congregation
Oheb Shalom Congregation
Oheb Shalom is a Conservative synagogue in South Orange, New Jersey.The congregation was founded in 1860. Its 1884 Moorish Revival building,known as Prince Street Synagogue, in Newark, New Jersey is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The present building, in South Orange, was...
. The congregation has since moved to South Orange
South Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
. The building served as the home of the Metropolitan Baptist Church from 1940 to 1993. In 1990 it was slated for destruction as part of land clearance to enable the construction of Newark's Society Hill housing development. Historic preservationist Mark W. Gordon led a movement ot preserve the historic building.
It has been restored by the Newark Conservancy and is now used as a nature center. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The brick, Moorish Revival synagogue features windows with Horseshoe arch
Horseshoe arch
The horseshoe arch, also called the Moorish arch and the Keyhole arch, is the emblematic arch of Islamic architecture. They were formerly constructed in Visigothic Spain. Horseshoe arches can take rounded, pointed or lobed form....
es, an entrance arch with red and white Voussoir
Voussoir
A voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. A...
s, and twin towers topped by modest domes.
See also
- List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey
- Jewish Museum of New Jersey at Ahavas SholomJewish Museum of New JerseyThe Jewish Museum of New Jersey, atAhavas Sholom, is located at 145 Broadway in Newark, New Jersey.The museum opened in 2007. The historic building in the Broadway neighborhood is housed is the longest continually operating synagogue in the city. It was built in 1923 and added to the National...
- Congregation Adas Emuno (New Jersey)Congregation Adas Emuno (New Jersey)Congregation Adas Emuno is a Reform synagogue in Leonia, New Jersey.The congregation was founded in 1871 and erected a synagogue building in 1883 in Hoboken, New Jersey. The small building in a mix of Gothic and Romanesque styles, is now the oldest synagogue building still standing in New Jersey...
- Woodbine Brotherhood SynagogueWoodbine Brotherhood SynagogueWoodbine Brotherhood Synagogue is a historic Jewish synagogue at 612 Washington Avenue in Woodbine, New Jersey. According to a historical marker on the property, it was founded by Russian Jews fleeing pograms in the 1890s....