National Register of Historic Places

Public Baths

New York, New York County, New York
Listed
April 22, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80002709

About this property

The Asser Levy Recreation Center is a recreational facility in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, composed of the Asser Levy Public Baths and Asser Levy Playground. It is bounded by East 23rd Street to the south, East 25th Street to the north, and FDR Drive to the east. Along with the former Asser Levy Place to the west, it was named after Asser Levy, one of New York City's first Jewish citizens and a strong and influential advocate for civil liberties. The Asser Levy Public Baths, the recreation center's main building, was designed by Arnold W. Brunner and Martin Aiken. Its main entrance on Asser Levy Place consists of two large arches flanked by pairs of columns. Inside are recreational rooms, a swimming pool, and lockers. It originally had separate waiting rooms and showers for men and women, though the waiting rooms were subsequently combined and the showers relocated. Outdoor recreational facilities, including additional swimming pools and the playground, surround the bathhouse. The bathhouse was built in 1905–1908 to alleviate sanitary problems in the city and was transferred to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) in 1938. Originally known as the East 23rd Street Baths, it was renamed for Levy in the mid-20th century. The building was designated a New York City landmark in 1974 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It was restored by NYC Parks in 1988–1990, and the other recreational facilities were built in 1993 and 2014.

Location

New York, New York County, New York
40.73598, -73.97589

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

R & S Building
Industrial
0.3 mi
Houses at 326, 328 and 330 East 18th Street
Industrial
0.3 mi
Salmagundi Club
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0.4 mi
Society for the Lying-In Hospital
Industrial
0.4 mi
Eleventh Street Methodist Episcopal Church
Early Republic
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Kip's Bay
1776Revolutionary War
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Public Baths listed on the National Register?

Public Baths was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 22, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Public Baths?

Public Baths is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Public Baths?

The period of significance for Public Baths is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Public Baths?

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