The neighborhood of the Old Eighth Ward was home to many buildings dedicated to serving the religious needs of different communities. Some of these churches and synagogues initially met in individual houses but had developed into beautiful specially-built buildings by the early twentieth century. The spirit of improvement caused by the City Beautiful Movement, in fact, generated new programs of building just years before the ward’s demolition. This gallery captures images of churches and synagogues from John D. Lemer’s photographs of the ward in 1911-1917. The gallery features images of St. Lawrence German Catholic Church, Kesher Israel Synagogue, Chisuk Emuna Synagogue, Wesley Union A.M.E Zion Church, and Bethel A.M.E Zion Church, among others.

To learn more about religious life in the Old Eighth, visit the Church Communities and Seeking Shalom pages. A full list of churches, synagogues, charitable institutions, and other organization can be found at Stephanie Patterson Gilbert’s Old 8th Ward website.

  • Synagogue located on Short street.
  • Rear view of Kesher Israel Synagogue
  • View of Wesley Union A.M.E. Zion Church on South Street and Tanner’s Alley
  • View of Wesley Union A.M.E Zion Church and Tanner’s alley looking southeast.
  • Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church, located on State Street
  • Another view of Bethel A.M.E. Zion Church
  • Kesher Israel Synagogue from 1902-1912, formerly First Free Baptist Church
  • St. Lawrence German Catholic Church on Walnut Street, constructed in 1907, in use for only a decade
  • The building on the left with the arched entrance is Chisuk Emuna Synagogue, constructed in 1908 and demolished a decade later.