2. The Synagogue is Made of New Jersey Brownstone
Despite Islamic and Moorish influences, Central Synagogue is also distinctly Western, particularly in terms of its materials. If the exterior stone feels quite New York, it’s because it’s made of brownstone quarried from Belleville, New Jersey just north of Newark! New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection calls brownstone the “unofficial state rock” and it “came to epitomize luxury and architectural sophistication” when it was widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries.
The Belleville quarries in the Passaic formation were the most productive “supplying more material for brownstone fronts of houses than any other source in the country,” according to the New Jersey DEP. The stone dates back to the days of the dinosaurs in the late Triassic and early Jurassic period. The lighter trim color on the facade of Central Synagogue is of Ohio sandstone.
