Congregation Mickve Israel, Savannah

Facing Monterey Square from East Gordon Street, you can't miss the distinctive Gothic Revival synagogue with pointed-arch windows, pale stucco walls, and a square corner tower. This is Congregation Mickve Israel, whose name is a Hebrew transliteration meaning “Congregation of the Hope of Israel.” The building is home to an active Reform Jewish congregation and also contains a museum devoted to Savannah’s Jewish history.

The congregation was founded in 1735, making it one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the United States. Its earliest members were mainly Sephardic Jews of Spanish and Portuguese ancestry who traveled from London. They arrived in Savannah in 1733, only a few months after the establishment of the colony of Georgia, and quickly became part of the young settlement’s religious and civic life.

The synagogue you see today was consecrated in 1878 and designed by New York architect Henry G. Harrison. Its pointed windows, buttress-like details, and steep roofline resemble those of a Christian Gothic church—an unusual architectural choice for an American synagogue of this period. Harrison even used a cruciform floor plan, adapting a form traditionally associated with churches.

Before moving on, look up at the tower. Its upper section opens into a gazebo-like belvedere, crowned by a small cupola with decorative elements that appear almost Islamic in inspiration. This combination of Gothic, Christian, and Middle Eastern influences gives the building its distinctive appearance.

Recognized for both its architecture and its long history, the synagogue was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is also a contributing property to the Savannah Historic District, highlighting the story of a Jewish community whose presence in the city stretches back nearly three centuries.