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Touro
Synagogue
National Historic Landmark
National
Register of Historic Places
Touro Synagogue of Newport, Rhode Island, constructed in 1763,
is the oldest synagogue in North America and is a National Historic Landmark.
Designed by one of America's first and
finest architects, Peter Harrison, it is a rare example of outstanding
Georgian architecture preserved intact. President
George Washington's 1790 visit to the Synagogue was followed by a letter
predating the Bill of Rights which affirmed religious liberty in America.
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Claude Emanuel Menders, Architects Inc. produced a survey and assessment
of the various properties on the site including the synagogue building,
the 1830¹s Levi Gale House (listed on the National Register of Historic
Places), the Rabbi's house, the parking area, cemetery and Patriots Park
for the active congregation of Touro Synagogue,
Congregation Jesuit Israel. A master plan was
completed in August 1997 and revised in 1999 for proposed improvements which
include restoration and preservation of the Synagogue, restoration of the
Levi Gale House with a possible addition, universal access modifications,
and the integration of the site and structures into a comprehensive campus
plan.
In 2000, the firm completed a Historic Structure Report
depicting in detail the history of the site and building.
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