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JWR VerifiedJWR-2026-000059

Oldest Building in Mississippi Originally Built as a Synagogue

Record holder

Former Temple Gemiluth ChessedPlace

Record value

Built in 1892

Country: United StatesAchievement location: Port Gibson, Mississippi, United StatesAchievement date: 1892Current record

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Temple Gemiluth Chassed, Port Gibson, Mississippi

Exterior of the surviving Temple Gemiluth Chassed synagogue building in Port Gibson, Mississippi, photographed 24 September 2016.Peter Burka / Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC BY-SA 2.0

Official record definition

The earliest-built surviving building in Mississippi that was purpose-designed and constructed as a synagogue. Congregation founding date, current Jewish worship use, continuous use and later religious use are outside the metric.

Measurement methodology

Historical chronology of surviving purpose-built synagogue buildings in Mississippi using state, Jewish-history and architectural sources.

Measurement point: earliest surviving purpose-built synagogue building

Record story

The oldest building in Mississippi originally built as a synagogue is the former Temple Gemiluth Chessed in Port Gibson, which holds the record with a value of "Built in 1892". The historic Moorish-style structure was purpose-built as a synagogue between 1891 and 1892, with its dedication occurring in 1892. Architectural, state, and Jewish-history sources confirm its construction date and survival. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History identifies the building as a Mississippi Landmark.

The record is determined by a historical chronology of surviving purpose-built synagogue buildings in the state. While an earlier synagogue existed in Jackson, the Beth Israel synagogue of 1867 was destroyed by fire in 1874. Research confirmed that all other surviving synagogue buildings in Mississippi postdate the Port Gibson temple. The achievement is for the earliest-built surviving structure and does not consider factors such as continuous Jewish worship or the congregation's later dissolution.

Media

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
2 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

Mississippi Department of Archives and History identifies Temple Gemiluth Chassed as a surviving Moorish-style synagogue built in 1891–1892. Independent Jewish-history and architectural sources confirm the 1892 purpose-built structure and its survival.

Superiority evidence

State counter-search found no earlier surviving purpose-built synagogue building in Mississippi. Jackson's Beth Israel synagogue of 1867 was destroyed by fire in 1874; other surviving Mississippi synagogue buildings reviewed postdate Temple Gemiluth Chassed.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • Temple Gemiluth Chassed, Port Gibson, MS — College of Charleston — Synagogues of the South

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • Temple Gemiluth Chassed property facts — Mississippi Department of Archives and History
  • Port Gibson Jewish Community Encyclopedia — Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • Gemiluth Chessed Synagogue, Port Gibson — Preservation in Mississippi

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • Temple Gemiluth Chassed property facts

    Official recordMississippi Department of Archives and History

    What this proves: Identifies the surviving synagogue as built in 1891–1892 and a Mississippi Landmark.

  • Port Gibson Jewish Community Encyclopedia

    Independent publicationGoldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life

    What this proves: Dates cornerstone/dedication in 1892 and identifies the building as Mississippi's oldest standing synagogue.

  • Temple Gemiluth Chassed, Port Gibson, MS

    Independent publicationCollege of Charleston — Synagogues of the South

    What this proves: Confirms the 1892 purpose-built synagogue structure and surviving architecture.

  • Gemiluth Chessed Synagogue, Port Gibson

    Independent publicationPreservation in Mississippi

    What this proves: Provides independent preservation context for the surviving Port Gibson synagogue.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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