Public Bath House No. 3
Why it's listed
Public Bath House #3 occupies a corner lot at 48 Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New York. Completed in 1909 to designs by local architect George S. Cowles, with P.J. Flannery as mason, it was the third of four bath houses the city built to give working-class residents access to sanitary facilities. The red brick facade is laid in header bond and divided into five bays, with segmental pediments over separate men's and women's entrances, round-arched second-story windows, sculptured consoles, and a tiled parapet. Polychrome tile and ornamental brickwork set it apart from the frame houses around it. Inside, a reception area, a bath area with a mosaic-tile plunge pool and shower stalls, and a second-floor custodian's apartment remain in their original arrangement. The pool reflects a change in thinking, as bath houses moved from purely sanitary purposes toward recreation. Remodeled in 1930 and 1958, it still operates as a municipal pool.
Significance in brief: It is the third of four original bath houses the City of Yonkers built to provide sanitary facilities for its working-class population. It is an excellent example of Second Renaissance Revival municipal architecture with unusual polychrome tile and brickwork. Its plan, which includes a plunge pool, shows the shift of bath houses from purely sanitary to recreational uses.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 85003366, listed October 21, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 48 Yonkers Ave., Yonkers |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | October 21, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003366 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect George S. Cowles; builder P.J. Flannery (mason) |
| Architectural style | Second Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is rated fair; the building now serves as a municipal pool, and deterioration is listed as a threat. It was remodeled in 1930 and 1958. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.93516, -73.88920 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 85003366.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7257325
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.