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Oldest Building in Utah Originally Built as a Synagogue

Record holder

Former B’nai Israel TemplePlace

Record value

Built in 1890

Country: United StatesAchievement location: Salt Lake City, Utah, United StatesAchievement date: 1891Current record

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B’nai Israel Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah

The surviving B’nai Israel Temple building in Salt Lake City, photographed 25 September 2016.Beneathtimp / Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC0 1.0

Official record definition

The earliest surviving building in the U.S. state of Utah that was designed and constructed originally as a synagogue or Jewish house of worship. Current ownership or use, congregation founding date, uninterrupted Jewish worship, floor area, sanctuary capacity and membership are outside the metric.

Measurement methodology

Documentary comparison of surviving purpose-built synagogue buildings in Utah by verified construction/completion chronology.

Measurement point: surviving purpose-built synagogue building

Record story

The oldest building in Utah originally built as a synagogue is the former B’nai Israel Temple in Salt Lake City, with a record value of 'Built in 1890'. According to National Register documentation, the structure was purpose-built as a synagogue between 1890 and 1891 and was dedicated in 1891. While the congregation had an earlier synagogue property from 1883, that building was replaced and no longer survives. The record is therefore determined by a documentary comparison of surviving purpose-built synagogue buildings in Utah, which found no earlier qualifying structure still standing.

Other historic synagogues in the state were built later, including Congregation Montefiore from 1903, Sharey Tzedek from 1920, and Ogden's B’rith Sholem from 1921. The former B’nai Israel Temple building is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. The congregation later left the building, and the historic structure survives today, now housing the Salt Lake Art Museum. This later change of use does not affect the record, which is based on the original construction and design of the building as a Jewish house of worship.

Media

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
3 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

Utah/National Register documentation and Utah historical sources identify the surviving B’nai Israel Temple in Salt Lake City as a purpose-built synagogue constructed in 1890–1891 and dedicated in 1891. The building survives and now houses the Salt Lake Art Museum.

Superiority evidence

JWR’s Utah counter-search found no earlier surviving purpose-built synagogue building. B’nai Israel’s earlier 1883 synagogue property was replaced; surviving Congregation Montefiore dates to 1903, Sharey Tzedek to 1920, and B’rith Sholem in Ogden to 1921.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

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

  • The Jewish Community in Utah — Utah History Encyclopedia

Achievement / record verification

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

  • B'nai Israel Temple — National Register nomination — National Park Service
  • Salt Lake Art Museum Opens on Pioneer Day — Salt Lake Art Museum

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

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

  • B'nai Israel Temple — National Register listing — National Register of Historic Places

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

  • B'nai Israel Temple — National Register nomination

    Official recordNational Park Service

    What this proves: National Register documentation identifies the surviving B’nai Israel Temple as a purpose-built synagogue constructed in 1890–1891 and dedicated in 1891.

  • B'nai Israel Temple — National Register listing

    Reference databaseNational Register of Historic Places

    What this proves: The National Register listing corroborates the historic B’nai Israel Temple building and its recognized historic status in Salt Lake City.

  • The Jewish Community in Utah

    Independent publicationUtah History Encyclopedia

    What this proves: Utah historical material documents the development of the Jewish community in Utah and provides statewide context for comparison with other synagogue buildings.

  • Salt Lake Art Museum Opens on Pioneer Day

    Independent publicationSalt Lake Art Museum

    What this proves: The Salt Lake Art Museum announcement documents the building’s current adaptive reuse, confirming that the former synagogue structure survives today.

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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