Temple Emanuel (Pearl Street, Denver)


Temple Emanuel on Pearl Street in Denver, Colorado, is a building that was built in 1898–1899 and expanded in 1924. In 1957 the synagogue was sold to First Southern Baptist Church and then LovingWay Pentecostal Church in 1977. In 1986 the building was acquired by the city of Denver because of a foreclosure process.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
Its 1987 NRHP nomination states:
Temple Emanuel is the only synagogue in Denver and Colorado designed in the Eastern-Islamic Style. The use of Eastern-Islamic design for synagogues was brought to America by German Jews who had been affected by the reform movement in Judaism and anti-Semitism prevalent in 19th century Europe. Use of the design reflects the problem of retaining Jewish cultural identity while fitting into the Christian society. As a result, the style was acceptable for a place of worship but did not immediately mark it as a traditional synagogue. The Eastern-Islamic architectural mode particularly suited this purpose in addition to evoking an association with the Jewish origins in the Near East. When Temple Emanuel was built, the congregation was largely made up of German and American Jews. The building is similar to synagogues built in the eastern United States and may have been styled after those built in Cincinnati and in New York.

The temple is located in Denver's North Capitol Hill neighborhood. Pathways Church acquired the building from the City of Denver in 2005. Pathways Church held services at the building and also ran it as a separate business, the Temple Events Center, until 2013. In 2013 the building and property was sold to Denver Community Church.