Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp
About this property
The Trenton Bath House is an influential design by the architect Louis Kahn, with the help of his associate, architect Anne Tyng. This changing room facility is located adjacent to a swimming pool at 999 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It is neither in Trenton, New Jersey, nor is it a bath house, but the so-called "Trenton Bath House" commands attention from architectural historians around the world. Designed as part of a larger plan (never executed) for the Jewish Community Center of the Delaware Valley, the "bath house" opened in 1955 and served as the entrance and changing area for patrons of an outdoor swimming pool. From a design perspective, the bath house actually appears as a simple cruciform—four square concrete block rooms or areas, surrounding an open atrium. Each of the rooms is topped by a simple, wooden rectangular pyramid. At the corner of each room there is a large, open rectangular column that supports the roof. However, closer inspection reveals that in addition to the pure design elegance, Kahn also clarified his thinking about the utilitarian purposes of the various spaces, and it was in this building that he first articulated his notion of spaces serving and spaces served. Kahn often spoke of this project as a turning point in his design philosophy, "From this came a generative force which is recognizable in every building which I have done since." On August 10, 2006, Mercer County and Ewing Township purchased the bath house from the Jewish Community Center for $8.1 million, using funds from the Open Space Preservation Trust Fund. This action ensures that the historic integrity of the bath house will be protected. Ewing plans to use the main J.C.C. building as a senior citizens center. The J.C.C. had planned to move to a new 80-acre (320,000 m2) site located on Clarksville Road in West Windsor Township, but funding ran out.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp
This page lists Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp listed on the National Register?
Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1984.
What type of historic resource is Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp?
Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp?
The period of significance for Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Mercer County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Mercer County.
Explore MercerCounty ›More historic places in New Jersey
Browse all historic places in New Jersey.
View New Jerseyhistoric sites ›New Jersey history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
New Jerseyhistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Trenton Jewish Community Center Bath House and Day Camp will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.