This former residence was
designed in 1890 by Frank H. Smith for the John Dwight family. Following
the lead of McKim, Mead & White, Smith employed the neo-Renaissance
style of architecture recently introduced to the neighborhood by this
prominent firm; the entrance is especially noteworthy. Dwight was the
baking soda baron whose famous "Arm & Hammer" brand
continues to enjoy popularity today. A sanatorium for many years after the
Dwights left, the mansion was acquired by the Ethiopian Hebrew
Congregation which converted it into a synagogue in 1962. The Commandment
Keepers are members of a centuries-old Jewish tradition which maintains
that Africans are descendants of the one of the lost tribes of Israel.