Agudath Sholem Synagogue

Congregation Agudath Sholom (CAS) is a historic Jewish synagogue in Stamford, Connecticut. The original synagogue building was later converted into a Christian church building, the Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church.

Agudath Sholom Synagogue
Agudath Sholom Synagogue with original front facade and Star of David in the rose window.
Location29 Grove Street,
Stamford, Connecticut
Coordinates41°3′18″N 73°32′1″W
Architectural styleLate 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements
MPSHistoric Synagogues of Connecticut MPS
NRHP reference No.95000561[1]
Added to NRHPMay 11, 1995

It's one of multiple synagogues considered in a study of NRHP eligibility.[2]

History

The Agudath Sholom congregation website states that on September 7, 1889, twenty-two members formally declared themselves as "Agudath Sholom Synagogue"; meaning "knot for peace" or "society for peace".[3] The congregation constructed their first synagogue, the Greyrock Synagogue, from 1904 through 1908.[3] The congregation used the building until February 1932 when the Greyrock Synagogue was destroyed in a fire.[3]

In order to meet the demands of its growing congregation, funds were raised for a new synagogue. A fund raiser for $1.2 million was done to raise the necessary capital; it was announced that $860,000 was made by February 1963.[4] In 1965, the congregation completed and dedicated a new synagogue on Strawberry Hill Avenue and Colonial Road. The synagogue currently resides at 301 Strawberry Hill Avenue.[5] The Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church now uses the Grove St synagogue.[6]

Construction
The Star of David window

Located at 29 Grove Street in Stamford, Connecticut, the Agudath Sholom Synagogue was the second synagogue of the congregation. According to the National Register of Historic Places, the ground breaking occurred on September 12, 1933, and the final dedication was on April 27, 1941.[7] According to the congregation's website, the Agudath Sholom Synagogue was completed in 1938 and the "Chanukkat Habayit dedication occurred on the High Holidays".[3] The construction delayed by funding difficulties that resulted from the Great Depression.[7] The synagogue is a rectangular brick building constructed on a high basement. The building features a prominent rose window depicting the Star of David.[7]

Significance

While it was originally a synagogue, the Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church continues to use the building as a church, but this did not impact the "National Landmark" status bestowed upon the building.[8] For the National Register of Historic Places, it was submitted under Criterion C because it was "Constructed as a Jewish house of worship, located in an urban setting, exhibits integrity of design and workmanship and constructed prior to 1945."[9]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. David F. Ransom (1995). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Submission: Historic Synagogues of Connecticut". National Park Service.
  3. "History of Congregation Agudath Sholom". Congregation Agudath Sholom. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  4. "none". Sunday Herald. 17 February 1963.
  5. Olitzky, Kerry (1996). The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 81.
  6. "Connecticut – Fairfield County". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  7. "Agudath Sholom Synagogue". National Park Service. 11 May 1995. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  8. Charles, Eleanor (7 April 1996). "15 Synagogues Gain National Landmark Status". New York Times. ProQuest 430538290.
  9. David F. Ransom (August 29, 1994). "National Register of Historic Places Registration, Multiple Property Listing, Historic Synagogues of Connecticut: Agudath Sholom Synagogue / Faith Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church". National Park Service. (pages 102-110) and Accompanying two photos, exterior


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