History and architecture
The building at 172-176 Norfolk Street is the oldest surviving structure built as a synagogue in New York City. Constructed in 1849-50, it was commissioned for Congregation Anshe Chesed, the third Jewish congregation to be established in New York. This large and influential congregation was also the second group in New York to embrace the Jewish Reform movement. The first of numerous congregations to locate on New York's Lower East Side, Anshe Chesed employed Alexander Saeltzer, a German architect who also designed the original Astor Library, to create a large and impressive Gothic style synagogue building. Despite the ravages of time to the building, its graceful arches and delicate tracery continue to enhance this historic neighborhood with remembrances of other, more prosperous times.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.