The twelfth oldest continuously used synagogue in the United States.

Owensboro was established in the early 1800s as a trading town on the Ohio River. The first Jews, who were primarily merchants, settled there in the 1840s. In 1874 the group bought land on Daviess Street to build the synagogue. It was completed in 1877 at a cost of $4,000. The Moorish Revival style building could seat 200 people in its pews. Since there were only 13 members at the time, clearly, there was hope of growth.

With the arrival of the railroad, Owensboro enjoyed an industrial boom, growing to 6200 people by 1880, and over 17,000 by 1920. Owensboro’s emergence as a trading hub for western Kentucky led to the rise of a small but enduring Jewish community. By the mid-1880s there were 31 Jewish families with 46 children. This number gradually declined to about half by 1925. A small addition was built in 1942 which included meeting rooms that could be used for a religious school.

After World War II Owensboro’s Jewish community peaked in size at 45 persons in 1965. Shrinkage of the Jewish population continued and by 1972 there were only 19 member families, 13 living in Owensboro and the rest in surrounding areas. By 2012 there were only about 12 members. Under the leadership of Sandy Bugay and Stuart Spindel this small but dedicated congregation continues to hold Shabbat services on the first Friday night of each month and Friday night Torah study every Friday night. The remaining members are committed to maintaining the Synagogue and Judaism in Owensboro as long as they can.

In 1986 Temple Adath Israel was listed on the National List of Historic Places. It is the 12th oldest synagogue in continuous use in the United States.