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Oldest Building in Louisiana Originally Built as a Synagogue

Record holder

Former Shaare Tefilah SynagoguePlace

Record value

Built in 1867

Country: United StatesAchievement location: New Orleans, Louisiana, United StatesAchievement date: 5 April 1867Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Exterior of the former Shaare Tefilah synagogue at 709 Jackson Avenue in New Orleans

The surviving former Shaare Tefilah synagogue at 709 Jackson Avenue, New Orleans.Oleg Yunakov / Wikimedia CommonsCC BY-SA 4.0

Official record definition

The earliest-built surviving building within present-day Louisiana that was purpose-designed and constructed as a synagogue. Congregation age, temporary or converted worship spaces, uninterrupted religious use, current use, denomination, floor area, membership and seating capacity are outside the metric.

Measurement methodology

Statewide chronological comparison of surviving purpose-built synagogue buildings using institutional history, scholarship and preservation research

Measurement point: Completion and dedication date of the surviving purpose-built synagogue building

Record story

The former Shaare Tefilah Synagogue at 709 Jackson Avenue in New Orleans holds the record as the "Oldest Building in Louisiana Originally Built as a Synagogue". The structure, which was "Built in 1867", establishes a key heritage benchmark for the state’s Jewish community. Although the congregation purchased the lot for the site in 1859, construction was delayed by the Civil War. The completed building, long known as the Jackson Avenue Shul, was formally dedicated on 5 April 1867.

The record was confirmed following a statewide chronological comparison of surviving purpose-built synagogue buildings. This research excluded other potential candidates, including the earlier building of Gates of Mercy, which no longer survives, and Shreveport's early Hebrew Zion temple, which was superseded. No earlier surviving building in Louisiana that was purpose-designed and constructed as a synagogue was identified. The record concerns the age and survival of the original synagogue building, meaning its subsequent adaptive reuse as apartments does not affect its status.

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
9 September 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

ISJL documents purchase of the Jackson Avenue lot in 1859, construction delayed by the Civil War, and dedication of the new synagogue on 5 April 1867. Brill scholarship and architectural preservation research independently corroborate the 1867 building.

Superiority evidence

Counter-search excluded Louisiana's earlier or same-period candidates: Gates of Mercy's earlier building does not survive; Tememe Derech's historic fabric was replaced; Shreveport's early Hebrew Zion temple was superseded; Temple Sinai's 1872 building was demolished; and surviving Donaldsonville material is later. No earlier surviving Louisiana building purpose-built as a synagogue was identified.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

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

  • The German People of New Orleans 1850–1900 — Chapter V — Brill

Achievement / record verification

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

  • Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities — Reform Congregations, New Orleans, Louisiana — Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life
  • Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities — Shreveport, Louisiana — Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life
  • Former Congregation Shaare Tefillah (709 Jackson Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130) - 04 image by Oleg Yunakov — Wikimedia Commons — Wikimedia Commons

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

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

  • In New Orleans, One of America's Oldest Extant Synagogue Buildings is Now Condominium Apartments — Samuel Gruber's Jewish Art & Monuments

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

History

  1. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

  2. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

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