{"nrhp_refnum":"09000256","name":"Congregation Beth Abraham","other_names":["Congregation Ahavath Achim","Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"203 E. 37th St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Brooklyn","county":"Brooklyn","state":"NY","lat":40.65417499000006,"lon":-73.94219919299996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2009-04-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","European"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story-plus-basement buff brick synagogue building at 203 East 37th Street in the East Flatbush (Rugby) neighborhood of Brooklyn, built in 1928 as Congregation Beth Abraham and designed by Peter Millman. It is now used as the Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an intact, representative example of early twentieth-century vernacular synagogue design in New York City, combining Romanesque and Classical Revival motifs under Criterion C. It is also significant under Criterion A for ethnic heritage, having been built by a congregation of mostly first- and second-generation Eastern European Jewish immigrants.","narrative":"Built in 1928 for Congregation Beth Abraham in the Rugby section of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, this buff brick synagogue was designed by Peter Millman of S. Millman & Sons, a firm that also designed three synagogues in nearby Brownsville. Its tripartite facade has a recessed central bay, flanking stair towers to the women's balcony, round-arched openings, limestone trim and a steel fence with Star of David motifs. Inside, the sanctuary keeps its balcony, plaster floral and Star of David details, stained glass, skylight, chandelier and a classical ark with scagliola columns. The congregation, largely first- and second-generation Eastern European Jewish immigrants, later became Ahavath Achim and sold the building in 1970 to Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day, which still uses it. The building is listed for its representative vernacular synagogue design and its role in the area's Jewish ethnic heritage. Water damage and aging windows remain concerns.","period_of_significance":"1928","architect_builder":"Millman, Peter (S. Millman & Sons)","architectural_style":"No style (vernacular synagogue with Romanesque and Classical Revival elements)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Currently used as a church (Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day) since 1970; the building has water penetration, masonry cracking and deteriorated windows, and a basement area is under renovation.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.405705-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/09000256.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000256/c7e6c11404-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/09000256/c7e6c11404-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Onorland","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Congregation_Beth_Israel.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Onorland</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Congregation_Beth_Israel.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75318355","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregation_Beth_Israel_(Brooklyn)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5160610"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/brooklyn/congregation-beth-abraham-09000256/"}