Temple De Hirsch 1908
November 10th, 2008 @ 12:26 am by Cliffe | Sorted Historic Buildings
Reader Deran Ludd sent me this photo a couple months back when we were discussing First Hill. It shows the Temple De Hirsch, a Reform Jewish congregation still going strong. A look at the modern overhead view shows that only the columns from this original building remain — as part of a garden of sorts. I haven’t been able to track down any information on when it was demolished, though a good guess may be 1960 when the new Temple De Hirsch was built. Can anyone chime into the comments and pin this down? Click on the thumbnail for the full-res photo.
Update: Seattle historian Alan Stein wrote in with the following information and photos. Thanks, Alan!
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| Temple De Hirsch, Seattle, U.S.A. Circa 1908. Photo courtesy Deran Ludd. |
According to UW Special Collections, the old Temple de Hirsch building came down in 1993.
http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcoll/…
A few months ago, I was interviewed by some students at the Seatle Academy for a history book they were working on. When we were finished, I went outside to snap some shots of the old edifice next door, but I had forgotten to charge my camera battery and it winked out after two shots. I didn’t get a shot of the columns, but I did get these views of the old entryway.
By the way, did you know that Google Maps now has Street Views for Seattle and other places around the state? It’s awesome for “now” views to compare with old postcards. Check it out
Street View Link
Alan Stein
HistoryLink - Staff Historian
Via E-Mail 11/10/2008
http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcoll/…
A few months ago, I was interviewed by some students at the Seatle Academy for a history book they were working on. When we were finished, I went outside to snap some shots of the old edifice next door, but I had forgotten to charge my camera battery and it winked out after two shots. I didn’t get a shot of the columns, but I did get these views of the old entryway.
By the way, did you know that Google Maps now has Street Views for Seattle and other places around the state? It’s awesome for “now” views to compare with old postcards. Check it out
Street View Link
Alan Stein
HistoryLink - Staff Historian
Via E-Mail 11/10/2008
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| Original Temple De Hirsch remains, present day. |
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| Original Temple De Hirsch remains, present day. |
November 10th, 2008 @ 9:01 am
Temple De Hirsch Sinai 1908 to Present
Temple De Hirsch was chartered on May 29, 1899 and the original Temple was dedicated on May 29, 1908. In 1924 the Temple Center was created, this Temple was superseded by the current Alahadeff Sanctuary building on September 21, 1960. In 1973 the Temple Center was refurbished and expanded, including the construction of the Schoenfeld-Garfield Chapel. The 1908 Temple was demolished around this time due to the deterioration of the structure. The Ark and the stained glass windows were saved from the original structure and now are prominent parts of the Chapel.
A few interesting notes about Temple De Hirsch Sinai: Jimi Hendrix played a concert in our Sidney Jaffe Auditorium before he became a world famous rock star. TDHS is the oldest and largest Reform Jewish Synagogue in Washington State. Samuel E. Goldfarb, writer of the famous Dreidel Song, was Musical Director from 1930 thru 1963. Temple De Hirsch merged with Temple Sinai of Bellevue, Washington on January 29, 1971 becoming Temple De Hirsch Sinai.
November 10th, 2008 @ 11:26 pm
David Brewster and others tried without success to save this building for use as a “town hall”. Among other attributes, it was said to have excellent acoustics. Of course that preservation effort failed, but another religious building was adapted for use as Seattle’s “town hall”. As I recall, Brewster published quite a few articles in support of saving the building and it should be possible to learn more from him or from the archives of his former newspaper, the “Seattle Weekly”.
November 11th, 2008 @ 12:16 am
Note to Google street view: Take you photo truck out in winter so we can see through the trees! Awesome feature, btw.
Cliffe
November 11th, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
What a great looking example of religious architecture. It is a shame that only part of it remains and not the entirity of it all.
January 26th, 2009 @ 12:40 pm
Perfect work!Keep posting
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