The Gymnasium photograhed in 1900
The building at the corner of Landsdowne Road and Holland Road was erected in 1886. It continued in use as a gymnasium until 1929 when it was demolished.
In 1930 the present Jewish Synagogue was built by Newcastle architect Marcus Glass.
Holland Road Synagogue
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Can you imagine the cost of knocking down a building of that size these days? In the 30s, labourers would have been paid a pittance for their toil, and the contractors relatively little. I wonder who picked up the tab, Synagogue, Council, or maybe both? At least it’s an improvement in design for a change!
Looks more like the front was demolished and rebuilt in the current style, and the rear was just altered a tad!
You could well be right, Peter- it would have saved a bit on the costs too. There are still 5 windows along the bottom of the side view. A pretty good development, I think!
Peter – you have a good eye. I think you are right.
A good spot Peter! The present Google street view totally supports your claim. From the left (north) side it clearly shows even more of the uppermost glass-sided roof section, which is mainly obscured by the re-modelled, and higher, frontage in the modern photo.
My teacher from Cottesmore, Miss Gerraghty, used to live in the house in the picture just backing on to the synagogue in the 1960s. And we lived right opposite her, in Lansdowne Road, but facing Lansdowne Street. (Incidentally, it was spelt Lansdown in the 1960s.)
Yes, it’s an interesting development and, looking at it more closely, I don’t think the front was demolished, just a very good alteration. The left hand front corner of the building is exactly the same, just extended higher, the overall width is exactly the same, and the frontage location in respect to the front boundary wall (which is the same) is the same size and position! Very well done that developer!
Despite not being Jewish, I attended the kindergarten (the brick building attached to the right of the synagogue) during the early 1970s. Does anybody remember the bicycle-riding caretaker, nicknamed ‘Lightning’? He got this name because he cycled so slowly, it would have been quicker for him to get off the bike and walk!
Wasn’t the building next to the synagogue, south side, once a bus garage/depot? As a child I lived at the top end of Lansdown Pl, west side, and remember my father telling me that it suffered a serious fire,was demolished & lay derelict for years, possibly a result of some wartime bomb.
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