Touro Synagogue National Historic Site
Peter Harrison’s 1763 sanctuary, a living congregation, and the Washington–Seixas correspondence anchor a precise story of Jewish Newport and American liberty.
Artwork inspired by Gilbert Stuart
Touro is both a National Historic Site and an active Orthodox synagogue. Its Sephardic layout and restrained Georgian exterior reflect Newport’s colonial Jewish community, while George Washington’s 1790 letter to Moses Seixas made the site central to the national language of religious freedom.
Access is through scheduled tours and the Loeb Visitors Center rather than casual sanctuary entry. Dress and behave for an active sacred space, confirm security and holiday closures, and distinguish Washington’s letter from the broader, longer Jewish history interpreted on site. The surrounding colonial neighborhood adds context, but the sanctuary’s active religious life must remain the interpretive center.
- Dedicated
- 1763
- Architect
- Peter Harrison
- Status
- Active congregation
Quick guide
- Begin at Loeb
- Use the visitor center before sanctuary entry.
- Read the layout
- Notice Sephardic seating and central bimah.
Know before you go
- Begin at Loeb
- Use the visitor center before sanctuary entry.
- Read the layout
- Notice Sephardic seating and central bimah.
- Hold two histories
- Connect religious practice with civic argument.
- Check the calendar
- Shabbat and holidays govern access.
Good to know
This is not a conventional museum with continuous walk-in access. Worship, security, holidays, and preservation govern the schedule; respectful dress and conduct are expected.
Notice these
- Georgian sanctuary
- Central bimah
- Washington–Seixas letter