Side A: Prominent architect William S. Lougee designed the Woodland Public Bath House that opened in 1915 at a cost of approximately $90,000. The first floor of the facility included separate shower baths for men and women, an office, waiting rooms, and a gymnasium with a 53-yard running track. The second story was divided into four rooms: a club room, a small city library branch, a baby dispensary, and clinic. The basement featured an indoor swimming pool popular among adults and children. Like other public bath houses in Cleveland, the Woodland Bath House was an invaluable social space for its diverse community of largely Hungarian, but also Slovak, Bohemian, Italian, Lithuanian, and Jewish residents. In 1918, the City estimated that 254,508 residents had used Woodland Bath House facilities, enjoying classes, camps, baths, and clinics.
Side B: The Bath House Movement was a Progressive Era (1890s-1920s) effort to address public health issues associated with the overcrowded and often unsanitary living conditions found in the burgeoning immigrant neighborhoods of large American Cities. The Woodland Public Bath House (1915) was the City of Cleveland’s fourth bath house after the opening of Orange Bath House (1904), Broadway Bath House (1906), and Clark Avenue Bath House (1908). By 1921, there were seven bath houses operating in Cleveland’s neighborhoods. A century later, five remain and four continue to operate as Neighborhood Resource and Recreation Centers. These Bath Houses stand as the manifestation of the City of Cleveland’s commitment to the health and welfare of its citizens. In 1989, City Council recognized Woodland Bath House to be a Cleveland Landmark.
