The Roof and the Domes

The synagogue today still boasts the distinctive red, unglazed tile roof that it did a century ago.  Washington area roofing specialist Chuck Wagner of Wagner Roofing had done work for Turner Memorial on the building’s roof tiles in the 1960s as an apprentice to his father. His firm, which specializes in restoration of churches, government buildings and residences, was re-engaged in 2003 to repair the leaky roof.

Wagner Roofing also re-created a copper Star of David to adorn the central dome. It was replaced on the dome on April 8, 2004.

At right: after a long absence a Star of David once again crowns the building's central dome.

Repairing the leaky roof required replacing some of the structural beams that had rotted away after a century of use.

The Star of David that crowns the central dome was fabricated to match the patina of the copper finials on the smaller domes.

Work done on the roof included replacing the terra cotta tiles on top of the central, northwest, northeast and southeast domes.

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