The cornerstone for the first synagogue in downtown Johnstown was laid in 1905 on land at 51 Iron Street (now Walnut Street), across from the Pennsylvania Railroad Station. By 1910, Rodef Sholom served 100 families. The location of the site was especially important. Since the congregation was mostly composed of Orthodox Jews, the synagogue was located within several blocks of most Jewish homes. Observant Orthodox Jews must walk and not ride on the Sabbath, so the synagogue needed to be located in a Jewish neighborhood. While Rodef Sholom had begun as an Orthodox congregation, as in other parts of America, the number of Orthodox Jews began to diminish with ever-increasing levels of assimilation. During the 1940s, the congregation became increasingly based on the principles of Conservative Judaism, and thus the congregation became less and less Orthodox.
The Iron Street synagogue continued to serve the community for 45 years, until 1950 when the last service was held in the building. Sometime before that date, Jewish residential patterns had begun to change in favor of residence on the West Hill in suburban Westmont Borough and Southmont Borough. Eventually, the majority of Johnstown's Jews found it to be increasingly difficult to worship at the building. In 1946, work began on the construction of a new Rodef Sholom Synagogue on Dartmouth Avenue in Westmont. In 1950, the old Rodef Sholom building was sold to Charles Lisowitz, who converted it into a store in 1951. The building was later demolished in 1962.