Congregation Ahawath Chesed built Central Synagogue at 652 Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan as its fifth building. Henry Fernbach, who designed the congregation's earlier Avenue C synagogue, was the architect. Ground was broken on December 14, 1870, and it was consecrated on April 19, 1872. The article describes a Moorish Revival building mixing Egyptian, Moorish and Spanish features.
The brownstone facade has light-stone trim, octagonal towers, stained-glass windows and a geometric rose window. The building is 140 feet (43 meters) long, 93 feet (28 meters) wide and up to 112 feet (34 meters) high, and the two-level sanctuary holds 1,400 people.
A fire in 1998 caused extensive interior damage during a renovation, and the restored building was rededicated on September 9, 2001. It is a New York City landmark and a National Historic Landmark.
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