The "Stage" in 1912 (Emmanuel Baptist Church)
The "Stage" in Kesser Israel Temple
The "Stage" retained the old scroll box which held the Torah scrolls in the synagogue.
The scroll box was kept intact but has been refurbished.
Buried Treasure -
When you move into a 120 year old building, you find little surprises here and there. A few of our discoveries include the following:
Offices :: it appears office-like rooms were constructed on the same level as the balcony on each side of the stage. We had to cut a hole to repair some wiring and found floors, walls, and several things in "storage" sealed into the walls.
Baptistry :: underneath the stage a concrete baptistry remains, likely from the original Baptist church in the 1800s as well. It is not in use today, but we have explored it and will continue to learn more I am sure!
Old articles :: political signs supporting local candidates; old chairs; light fixtures; holiday flyers; eating utensils; and more!! These were all found below the building, under the floors, and in the walls, all of them telling stories of events that occurred in this building during the last 120 years.
Stencil from original Baptist church :: a light stencil was detected while preparing to paint the ledge of the balcony. It reflects a pattern that includes a cross, something likely covered up when the Jewish synagogue first took over the building.