{"nrhp_refnum":"90000464","name":"Synagogue B'nai Abraham","other_names":["#645"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"302 N. Park","address_restricted":false,"city":"Brenham","county":"Washington County","state":"TX","lat":30.168385125000043,"lon":-96.39825137799994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1990-03-29","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A small gable-front frame synagogue at 302 North Park in Brenham, Washington County, Texas, built circa 1900. The builder is unknown.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an excellent and one of the few surviving examples of Gothic Revival style in Brenham, expressed in a restrained, vernacular way. It is also believed to house one of the first Orthodox Hebrew congregations in Texas, organized in 1885. The building retains a high degree of integrity.","narrative":"Synagogue B'nai Abraham is a modest gable-front frame building at 302 North Park in Brenham, Texas, dating to about 1900. It sits on a brick pier-and-beam foundation under an asphalt shingle roof. Aluminum siding added in the 1980s matches the original clapboards. Lancet-style four-over-four windows with pointed upper sashes, round gable-end windows, and an arched entry with double doors give the building a restrained Gothic Revival character. The nomination describes it as an excellent vernacular example in which function matters more than style, and as one of the few Gothic Revival buildings in Brenham. It is also believed to house one of the first Orthodox Hebrew congregations in Texas, organized in 1885. The Jewish community in Brenham has always been small, and in the 1960s and 1970s University of Texas students were invited to attend so that enough adult men would be present for services. The building is now used only for special occasions. It was listed for its architecture, with a local context of community development and regional expansion.","period_of_significance":"c. 1900","architect_builder":"Unknown","architectural_style":"Gothic Revival influence","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Stated to be in good condition with a high degree of integrity; now used only for special occasions.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:21.764414-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/27/9706/40970627/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/90000464.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000464/66415583cc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000464/66415583cc-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Larry D. Moore","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B%27nai_Abraham_Synagogue_(Brenham,_Texas)_2008.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Larry D. Moore</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B%27nai_Abraham_Synagogue_(Brenham,_Texas)_2008.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"04000154","name":"Brenham Downtown Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/texas/brenham-downtown-historic-district-04000154/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40970627","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congregation_Tiferet_Israel_(Austin,_Texas)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4833604"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/washington-county/synagogue-bnai-abraham-90000464/"}