Ahavas Shalom Reform Temple

Ahavas Shalom Reform Temple is a historic synagogue building located in Ligonier, Noble County, Indiana at 503 Main Street. It was built in 1889, and is a one-story, red brick building with Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival style design elements. It has a Greek cross plan and is topped by a steep cross-gabled roof. It features an entrance tower topped by a steep pyramidal roof. In 1954, the building was sold to a Methodist congregation and now houses the Ligonier Historical Museum.[2]^{:2, 5}

Ahavas Shalom Reform Temple
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Ahavas Shalom Reform Temple, July 2012
Location	503 S. Main St., Ligonier, Indiana
Coordinates	41°27′42″N 85°35′20″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1889
Architectural style	Gothic, Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	83000143[1]
Added to NRHP	June 16, 1983

It is one of the few surviving 19th-century synagogues in the United States.[3] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[1][4] It is located in the Ligonier Historic District.

The building was put up for sale by the council in 2015.[5]

History

Jews arrived in Ligonier in the 1850s, establishing a cemetery in 1865. Rabbi Isaac Meyer Wise attended the dedication of the synagogue building in 1889.[4] The Jacob Straus House, home of a congregant, is also open to visitors.[4] It is located at 210 South Main Street.

Ligonier Historical Museum

The Ligonier Historical Museum was housed in Ahavas Shalom Reform Temple building.[6]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2016-06-01. Note: This includes Craig Leonard (February 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Ahavas Shalom Reform Temple" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-06-01. and Accompanying photographs.
3. Rediscovering Jewish Infrastructure: Update on United States Nineteenth Century Synagogues, Mark W. Gordon, American Jewish History 84.1 (1996) 20-27. 2019 article update.
4. Sheldon, Betsy, The Jewish Travel Guide, Hunter Publishing, Inc, 2001, pp. 217-8.
5. TAYLOR, LORRAINE (16 Jan 2015). "Historic Ligonier synagogue for sale". Goshen News. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
6. http://visitnoblecounty.com/Attract/LHM.htm%5B%5D