The dramatic picture of the Adas Israel Synagogue moving through downtown Washington in 1969 is what drew me to learning more about this building (see second picture in the gallery – check out this Washington Post article to see other photos). Built in 1876, the building is the oldest synagogue in Washington (however, not the oldest congregation). Adas Israel formed in 1869 and met in rented spaces through 1873, when they pooled together enough money to buy land at 6th and G Streets NW.

The synagogue was built in a stripped-down Romanesque Revival, an unadorned brick structure completed in 1876 at the cost of only $4,800. A small building, just 60 feet long and 25 feet wide, the synagogue features a protruding bay on to house the holy ark, a small cupola, and tall, narrow windows, each topped by a simple wooden fan.

President Ulysses S. Grant attended the dedication of the synagogue, the first sitting U.S. president to attend services at a synagogue. However, the building did not stay a synagogue for long. As the congregation grew, they relocated to 6th and I in 1908. Steven Gotti bought the building and renovated it for commercial use. During the twentieth century, it housed several Christian congregations as well as a bicycle shop, a barber shop, a dentist’s office, a delicatessen, a real estate agent, and a grocery.

In 1966, when the building was going to be razed for commercial growth, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington fought to relocate the building to a lot 3rd and G Streets, NW – a few blocks away. Since renovations over the years had left the first floor too weak to be moved, they actually had to sever the structure horizontally. Only the second and third floors survived the journey in 1969.

The second and third floors were placed on a new first floor created with bricks recycled from the previous site. The old synagogue was restored to its previous state and became the Lillian & Albert Small Jewish Museum. It is the oldest synagogue in Washington, as well as one of the oldest surviving in the country.

Ironically, the building might be moved again, as redevelopment has yet again threatened its location. While the when is unclear, the building will be moved to 3rd and F Streets NW. The move will allow the synagogue to face east, the standard orientation in Jewish tradition.