People's Bath
141 Mott, North of Canal Street in Chinatown
Opened: 1852
Cost: $42,000
This building substantially predates the other buildings, as it was the beginning and end of a nascent public bath movement in the mid 19th century. The bath included laundry facilities, a swimming pool and separate tubs for men and women. The facility was only open in summer months (no hot water?). Laundry cost three cents and a bath five to ten cents, which proved too expensive for the impoverished clientele that the facility was built to serve. The bath closed in 1861.
The bath was in operation before this became Chinatown in the 1870s. The address is currently (Fall 2006) a retail / residential building on a bustling commercial street. The building seems a bit small for all the facilities that were located there and it is certainly possible that this building is of later vintage.
People's Bath
People's Bath
People's Bath