Asser Levy Pl. and E. 23rd St., New York, New York. County/parish: New York.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places April 23, 1980. NRIS 80002709.
1 contributing building.
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.
(read more...)National Park Service documentation: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75319833