Gates of Heaven Celebrates 35 Years Tonight

Gates of Heaven Synagogue 35th Year Anniversary Open House

Thursday, July 27, 5-6:30 p.m.

302 East Gorham Street, James Madison Park at N. Butler

A reception marking the 35th anniversary of the preservation of the 143-
year-old Gates of Heaven Synagogue building in James Madison Park will be
held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 27. The brick and stone Madison
landmark was designed by noted architect August Kutzbock and is one of the
oldest surviving synagogue buildings in the United States. Gates of Heaven
was moved to its present site in James Madison Park in 1971 when threatened
with demolition. Friends of Gates of Heaven has organized the free event
which includes light refreshments and music by Yid Vicious.

The Gates of Heaven Synagogue, in Hebrew, Shaare Shomaim, was built in 1863
for the Ahavath Achim congregation of eighteen German Jewish immigrant
families. The synagogue, the first built in Madison and the third oldest in
the country, is German Romanesque Revival or Rundbogenstil, in its design
according to noted architectural writer Ada Louise Huxtable. Kutzbock had
also designed the second State Capitol building, the City Hall, and the
stately mansions at the intersection of East Gilman and N. Pinckney
including the Mansion Hill Inn. The building served the Ahavath Achim
congregation until 1879 when it was rented to the Unitarian Society. The
building was sold in 1916, and has had several uses subsequently.

In 1971, the Gates of Heaven Synagogue faced demolition to make room for a
new office complex to be built on its site, located at 214 W. West
Washington Avenue. Concerned citizens rallied to save the building by
forming the Gates of Heaven Foundation, organized by Norton and Lois Stoler.
The group raised over $20,000 and nominated the building to the National
Register of Historic Places. A partnership of the City of Madison and the
Foundation, led by Sol Levin, was successful in gaining federal matching
funds to complete the $60,000 moving fund. A local moving company estimated
the cost of the move at $45,000. The Belding Moving Company of East Chicago,
IL was the low (and only) bidder. Ninety-six airplane wheels were placed
under the structure and two tank retrievers from World War II lifted it from
its original site and pulled it through a mile of downtown Madison's streets
on July 17, 1971. The buff sandstone building was then restored and
landscaped. Saving the Gates of Heaven from demolition was Madison's first
successful historic preservation effort.

The Gates of Heaven is a Madison, Wisconsin, landmark owned by the Madison
City Park's Department. For information on reserving Gates of Heaven for
special events, call the Madison Parks Department, 608-266-4711.

http://www.cityofmadison.com/parks/goh.html



The landscaping is undertaken and facilitated by volunteers. Donations are
gratefully accepted for the gardening expenses. Checks may be written to
"Gates of Heaven Preservation Fund", PO Box 2023, Madison, WI 53701 and are
tax deductible.

For information contact Gigi Holland (Tenney-Lapham) 251-8586,
(gigiholland@sbcglobal.net) or Judy Sidran 256-4744 (JudySidran@aol.com)

We welcome old photos or remembrance stories that include the Gates of
Heaven and the neighborhood before James Madison Park.

Further photos and more information the Gates of Heaven Synagogue online:

http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/advancedSearch.asp

Use Advanced Search, Keywords 'Gates' AND 'Heaven'

http://www.historicmadison.org/html/MadHist/Articles/GatesofH.asp

http://danenet.wicip.org/tlna/web-data/issues/july/gates25.html