Plans are moving forward to demolish a historic chapel in Hartford. One of the final barriers has now been cleared.
“We're very sad and truly disappointed,” said Carey Shea, of Friends of Zion Hill Cemetery.
For those looking to preserve the Deborah Chapel, these are tough times with demolition plans moving forward. You can find the now boarded-up building in the Beth Israel Cemetery off of Ward Street in Hartford.
“It's a unique building. It's, you know, one of a kind. It was built by German Jewish women in the 1800s at a time when women couldn't even vote,” Shea said.
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But long-running efforts to save the funeral chapel from demolition have been so far unsuccessful.
After a court injunction was lifted earlier this month and now with a city demolition permit in hand, Congregation Beth Israel said it’s finally time to go ahead and take down the old structure.
“Our first priority is the safety and security of our cemetery,” said Chet Zaslow, Congregation Beth Israel Board of Trustees president.
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The congregation said it previously offered to sell the chapel for $1 to anyone who wanted to buy and move it. But that never worked out.
Once it’s knocked down, the congregation is planning a memorial garden in its place.
“The women of the Deborah Society are our women. They are women of Congregation Beth Israel, and we will honor them there. We also honor them at our own synagogue,” Zaslow said.
Just last year the chapel landed on a list of endangered historic properties. And there are still hopes the congregation changes its mind about its future.
“If they're willing to consider it, even for a nanosecond, we would be more than happy to help them, you know, get the building off their property,” Shea said.
The congregation will be demolished Wednesday morning after a last-minute opening in the contractor's schedule.
As far as a potential timeline for demolition, the congregation said it prefers sooner rather than later. According to the permit, it’s expected to cost $30,000.
