Bialystoker Synagogue
From Archiplanet
| Bialystoker Synagogue | |
| Designer | Unknown |
| Location | New York, New York, USA |
| Date | 1826 |
| Building Type | Religion |
| Construction System | Wood, Sandstone |
| Architectural Style | Federal |
| Street Address | 7--13 Willett St. Walk Score |
| Notes | also known as Willett Street Methodist Episcopal Church |
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| National Register of Historic Places | |
| Name | Bialystoker Synagogue |
| ID Number | 72000861 |
| NRHP Status | Listed In The National Register |
| Certification Date | 04/26/1972 |
| Level of Significance | State |
| NRHP Documents | Text (pdf) ; Photos (pdf) |
Bialystoker Synagogue
Bialystoker Synagogue at 7 Willett street was built in 1826 as the Willett Street Methodist Episcopal Church from the quarry stone of Mt Pitt. Bialystoker Synagogue was a stop on the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves heading to Canada.
In 1868, two Bialystocker societies formed small prayer groups, these two groups were the Anshei Chesed and the Adath Jeshurun. A congregation of Polish immigrants started meeting on Hester street, moved to Orchard street, then met on Grand street before buying the old Church. Pooling their resources the Lithuanian congregation full of tradesmen like carpenters, shoe makers, tailors and painters bought and remodeled the old Church. On May 19, 1905, the Methodist Church was bought for $105,000 in cash by Jews from Bialystok, Poland.
Bialystoker Synagogue is made of wood and sandstone from Manhattan schist taken from a quarry two blocks away on top of Pitt street by Grand street. Bialystoker Synagogue was the first religious structure in the United States built of fieldstone (stone in its natural state). The existing synagogue is still one of four early 19th century fieldstone religious buildings from the late Federal period in Lower NYC.
The puffy clouds that adorn its large painted ceiling adds to the beauty of the twelve signs of the zodiac crowning the main sanctuary.The renovated and restored (in 1988) Bialystoker Synagogue seats more than a thousand worshipers, has three large crystal chandeliers. Its massive two story carved wooden Ark is coated in gold leaf, was brought from the Bialystoker region in northeast Poland. Crying lions are symbols that Jews are still in exile awaiting the rebuilding of the temple and the coming of the Messiah. The eagle supporting the Torah's crown is another symbol signifying the day members of the congregation would all be carried on the wings of eagles to Israel. This temple at 7-11 Willett street (now renamed Bialystoker Place) became a NYC landmark on April 19th, 1966, and still has 400 - 500 worshippers.
The inside of the Bialystoker Shul was designed to resemble the Great Synagogue in Bialystok (1913-1941) that was burned by the Nazis on June 27th, 1941. After rounding up and enclosing the Synagogue with 2,000 Jews, Nazis burned them alive inside. 3000 Jews lost their lives that day due to those German Nazi murderers.
The corner of the women's gallery along the balcony has a break in the wall, that functioned as a door to a 200 year old ladder leading up to a hidden room in the attic. Lit only by two small windows this hideaway was used by the Underground Railroad. This sanctuary during the Civil War had other ladders that lead up to loft spaces used by countless numbers of desperate slaves. Other NYC underground railway locations included the basement of Thomas Downing's Oyster House across the street from Federal Hall at the corner of Wall and Broad streets. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church at 158 Church street on the sw corner of Leonard street was another stop on the Underground Railroad. Most NYC locations were on the water, where anxious slaves could travel north by boat.
In 1776 Fort Pitt was a circular redoubt that had 8 defensive guns. Fort Pittt at Pitt and Grand streets was the eastern battery of a line of fortifications that ran between Grand and Broome streets to Broadway (just past Bunker Hill). One fort was east of this line of fortifications, it was called Jones Hill Fort. The old fort was located in Corlear's Hook before that neighborhood was leveled. After the Patriots left NYC in September 1776, the British reenforced the line of fortifications with pickets and a sloping or horizontal wall of pointed stakes. In May 1780, two more circular batteries were added to the ridge between Grand and Broome streets, one at Norfolk Street, and the other at Eldridge Street.
Willett and Sheriff street were named for a Revolutionary War hero named Colonel Marinus Willett was Mayor of NYC from 1807 to 1808 and Willett was NYC Sheriff from 1784-1788, and 1792-1796. He was the great-grandson of NYC's first Mayor Thomas Willett, and the son of school teacher and tavern owner Edward Willett. Edward Willett owned the Horse and Cart Tavern, and in 1754 rented Lieutenant Governor James De Lancey's mansion to open the Province Arms Tavern (which became Burn's Coffee House, City Arms, State Arms).
Marinus was born in Jamaica, NY on July 31, 1740. Marinus Willett, a rabble rouser was an informal street leader of the Sons of Liberty, Willett and John Morin Scott were the heroes who bravely stopped the British soldiers who were trying to leave NYC with muskets (that ended up being used to arm NYC troops in 1775). Willett and other Sons of Liberty broke into the NYC arsenal and seized the guns and a
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National Register of Historic Places
