Historic synagogue gets a 'lift' to new home down the block

WASHINGTON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Washington D.C.'s first and oldest synagogue has a new home --- thanks to a massive mobile platform and the construction team who coordinated the building's move to a different location on the same street, and out of the way of a major construction project.

The brick building which housed the Adas Israel synagogue, was loaded onto a special motorized platform with dozens of wheels for the trek on Wednesday (January 9).

Spectators gathered on the streets and in nearby balconies to watch as the structure traveled to its new location.

The synagogue opened its doors in 1876 and President Ulysses S. Grant attended the dedication, according to the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington's website.

The structure will be incorporated into the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, a museum focusing on Jewish life in the U.S. capital. The museum is scheduled to open in 2021.