Manhattan · NYC landmark
East 11th Street Public Bath
538-540 East 11th Street · Manhattan, New York City
A former free bathhouse whose facade records a public-health service for tenement residents without bathrooms.
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NYFE Summary
Reformers pushed the city to provide places to wash for people whose tenement apartments lacked bathrooms. This bathhouse separated men and women into different waiting and shower rooms. During hot weather, visitors also came to cool down.
The inscription above the arches still announces the building's public purpose. Fish and tridents decorate the pale stone front. After the baths closed, the building served as a warehouse and garage.
NYFE summary from the official history and visitor sources linked below.
Plan a visit
Check the operator’s current opening, admission and access information before travelling. Historic status does not guarantee public access to every interior.
Official visitor information ↗