Anshei Glen Wild Synagogue
Why it's listed
Anshei Glen Wild Synagogue is a small, rectangular, one-story house of worship on the east side of Glen Wild Road in eastern Sullivan County. Built into a hillside, it has concrete block walls with stucco, a gable roof, large round-arched windows with colored and opaque glass, and a bell-shaped porch roof at the entrance. Inside, a square sanctuary under a barrel-vaulted ceiling follows orthodox tradition, with a central bimah, pews facing the ark, and curtained seating for women. The congregation formed in 1913 and met in the home of Simon Jaffe until Jim Couch and his sons completed the building in 1923. A social hall addition was added at the rear in the 1950s. Glen Wild was among the first Catskills locations settled by eastern European Jewish farmers and boarding-house keepers. The building is notable as one of sixteen synagogues built in the county before the 1930s, and for blending orthodox features with regional vernacular design while keeping its original character.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an intact, representative early twentieth-century synagogue in Sullivan County, one of sixteen built there before the 1930s. Its design combines eastern European orthodox features with regional vernacular forms and materials. It also reflects the Jewish agricultural and boarding-house settlement of the Catskills, and it retains an exceptionally high degree of integrity.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 98001618, listed January 15, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Glen Wild Road, Glen Wild |
|---|---|
| County | Sullivan County |
| Listed | January 15, 1999 |
| Reference number | 98001618 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1923 |
| Architect / builder | Jim Couch and Sons |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still serves as a religious facility; the form lists both historic and current function as religious. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.65018, -74.58851 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 98001618.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q569774
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.