| Designed by architect H.A. Overbeck, of Dallas, Texas, and built in 1904-05, this elegant synagogue re-introduced Classicism to the religious architecture of Mississippi after a lapse of almost 30 years. (It is very similar in design to the Hebrew Union Temple in Greenville, also designed by Overbeck, which was built in 1906). This building served the Jewish congregation of Natchez for nearly a century, but after the congregation became largely inactive and unable to maintain the building, it was conveyed to the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL), which maintains it as part of the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. It is listed as a contributing element (element #96) in the Natchez-on-Top-of-the-Hill Historic District, which was placed on the National Register on 17 September 1979. It was designated a Mississippi Landmark, at the request of the owners, on 11 September 2002. The synagogue is included in "Natchez Walking Guide" (1985) (pp. 51-52), "Historic Churches of Mississippi" (2007) (pp. 106-107), and "Buildings of Mississippi" (2020) (pp. 33-34, ND25). [HABS: MS-276 (four photos – two exterior and two interior – made by James W. Rosenthal in July 2006)] |