Public Bath House No. 4
Why it's listed
Built in 1925 at 138 Linden Street in Yonkers, this public bath house was designed by local architect O.J. Gette and was the last of four bath houses the city built for its working-class residents. Its brightly colored pastel stucco facade combines Renaissance details, including a round-arched entrance with a rusticated surround, cartouches and Palladian-style windows, with the low tiled roof and flat wall surfaces of the Spanish Mission style. It stands across from the Mission style Enrico Fermi Middle School, and the two buildings complement each other. Inside, the reception and shower areas were modernized in 1961 under architect Maurice Capobianco, but the two-story pool room survives with pilasters, bleachers with ornamental spandrels and a plunge pool decorated with polychrome tile. The building shows how municipal baths shifted from plain sanitary facilities to mixed-use recreation centers, and it reflects City Beautiful ideas about civic architecture. It later became a municipal pool.
Significance in brief: It was the last of four bath houses built by Yonkers for its working-class population and one of only three similar buildings in the city. Its Renaissance Revival detailing and Spanish Mission style planar stucco walls reflect the City Beautiful movement and a move toward simpler ornament. Its large pool shows how bath houses evolved from sanitary facilities into recreational centers.
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 85003367, listed October 21, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 138 Linden St., Yonkers |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | October 21, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85003367 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect O.J. Gette; builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival detailing combined with Spanish Mission style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in good condition; originally a public bath house and present use is a municipal pool. Interior reception and shower areas were modernized in 1961, while the pool room remains largely intact. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.93095, -73.89212 (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 85003367.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7257324
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.