The Roman Revival public baths at the far eastern end of 23rd Street were designed by the Brunner & Aiken firm and built between 1904-1906, during a period of increased efforts to address public hygiene. Asser Levy, a 17th century merchant, was one of the first Jews to arrive in New Amsterdam, possibly arriving as a refugee of Dutch Brazil. Levy’s presence in the colony of New Netherland was first recorded in 1655, when he protested his both his exclusion from the colony’s military on the basis of his faith, and the tax penalty assessed for having not served. Levy’s appeals led to the 1657 extension of citizenship rights to Jews in the New Netherland. In 1661, Levy became the first Jew to own a house in North America. Levy became a successful merchant in Albany and New Amsterdam, appearing frequently in litigation and transaction records. In New Amsterdam, he owned a butchery on Wall Street and also operated a tavern.

In the late 19th and early 20th century the densely crowded neighborhoods of New York, whose apartments lacked bathing facilities, combined with a progressive civic action to create a peculiar and somewhat short-lived (for its original purpose) municipal facility: the public bath house. In the 19th century, public baths, of a sort, were established as floating pools in the rivers during the hot summer months. A few "People's Baths" were built with private funds through the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor prior to 1900. In 1895 the passage of a state-wide law required the construction of public bathing facilities in the state's largest cities. The first truly municipal bath opened on Rivington Street in 1901. Many of the resulting public baths were architecturally impressive, both inside and out. The complexes usually included laundry facilities, a swimming pool, and separate tubs for men and women. The immediate need for the baths diminished some with the passage of the 1901 Tenement House Act, which required new apartments to provide toilet facilities. (Many, though not all, landlords also included baths.) Yet the public baths saw periods of high volume especially in the summer months. The year 1920 saw 7.5 million baths taken in these 20 facilities. In the 1930s some of the baths were renovated by the WPA. By the mid century, the public baths were closing and being demolished or being converted to other usages. Some facilities located in parks were made into recreational facilities. The final bath to close, in 1975, was the Allen Street Bath at 133 Allen Street.

Asser Levy Public Baths, ca. 1915.

Arches are everywhere in New York. From bridges, to memorials, and many a Beaux-Arts facade, the arch is a motif that can blends seamlessly into the city’s architectural fabric or stand out — triumphally — in a place of honor. Take a look: