Beth Israel Synagogue
a.k.a. Canaan Institutional Baptist Church
31 Concord St., Norwalk, CTThe Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue is significant architecturally because it is the only known synagogue building in Connecticut displaying Moorish onion-shaped domes. Moreover, it is the only known frame example of an urban historic building in Connecticut constructed to be a synagogue; all others are masonry. Although not currently used as a synagogue, the building, well maintained except for the addition of siding, continues to exhibit its characteristic exterior features of onion-shaped domes and round glazing, and, on the interior, almost complete integrity.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.