I never realized it, but the old United Hebrew Synagogue on Skinker was a Maritz and Young design from 1927. The strong Moorish inspiration is present in the columns, windows and overall design. The new location, which I realized I… Continue Reading
Wow, what an amazing structure! The old Shaare Zedek Synagogue is now occupied by the equally historic Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church, but the beauty of the house of worship still shows through. I find Jewish architecture intriguing. Since it… Continue Reading
Don’t let anyone tell you that smaller cities in America are boring! After eating lunch at a great “farm to table” place downtown, I began wandering around the streets to the east of Bloomington’s center. I spotted this building, and… Continue Reading
After writing my recent St. Louis Magazine article about Centenary United Methodist Church, one of the oldest continually operating congregations in downtown St. Louis, and in the city in general, I became interested in the synagogue that backed right up… Continue Reading
Originally in the Near North Side on Dayton near Leffingwell, the Congregation Zephran David moved out to the West End in the 1920-30s. The construction date in the City’s records is clearly wrong at 1900, since the Sanborn maps show… Continue Reading
The West End used to be one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city. It’s struggling now, but it still has wonderful remnants of the past. Take the former synagogue above, which reminds me of the Virginia Theater in Dutchtown.… Continue Reading
Ahavas Achim Anshei Romania was one of many synagogues that popped up in western St. Louis, where there had long been a large Jewish population. But unlike other waves of Jewish emigration from Western Europe, now many arrived from the… Continue Reading
In a city of old wood frame homes, the buildings of Olivette Park stand out in their brick construction. The vitality of the neighborhood can be seen in these handsome buildings, such as this old synagogue. Below, this apartment building… Continue Reading
While the city is filled with large, prominent synagogues, there were countless other smaller houses of worship that dotted the city. They’re often forgotten, such as Mishkan Israel, which combined with Shirei Thillim, located down at 13th and Carr in… Continue Reading
The eclectic nature of the area’s architecture continues on the northern end of the residential area. There was a Jewish population in the neighborhood for a while, as this former synagogue attests. Folsom Avenue is dominated by the gigantic Liggett-Meyers… Continue Reading