Bathhouses and hot springs
First, the hot springs:
The water comes out of the ground at an average temperature of 143°F.
The warmth of the water was a nice contrast to the cool air today. Just standing near these pools, I could feel the warmth rising up.
The Tunnel Spring behind the Maurice Bathhouse.
A drinking spring behind the Maurice Bathhouse.
Another source of steaming water, this time with a basin shaped like a shell. I love the growth that seems to follow anywhere the water flows.
A steaming fountain. I don't think I've seen one of these before. The water is coming from the hot spring.
And now for the bathhouses:
The Superior Bathhouse was originally built in 1883. The structure you see here was built in 1916, replacing the previous structure with the same name, and is currently being renovated.
The Hale Bathhouse was originally built in 1892, and remodelled twice, once in 1916, and again in 1938. The 1938 modifications changed the structure from Neoclassical to Spanish Revival. It is also being renovated.
The Maurice Bathhouse was built on the same site as a former bathhouse. The Maurice opened in 1912, and was remodelled in 1915. This bathhouse also had a rooftop garden and a therapeutic pool.
A detail of some stained glass from the side of the Maurice. This bathhouse is also in the process of being renovated.
The Fordyce Bathhouse was built in 1915. It is the largest, most ornate structure on bathhouse row. I particularly like the design in the brickwork, and the terra cotta work around the windows.
Here's a closer view of the entry, with the copper and stained glass.
And one of the windows.
And finally, a view of the inside. They are not responsible for valuables.
In case you can't tell, this is the one bathhouse that's already restored. It serves as the visitor center. They were already closed by the time I got there, or else I would have gone nuts inside, since you can walk all through the place.
There are other bathhouses on down the row, but we didn't make it to see all of them. It was starting to get dark and Enzo was getting crabby. So, you have 4 more bathhouses to see at some point.
I have a couple of other pictures of miscellaneous buildings to share:
The Malco Theatre, built in 1935. It was redecorated and reopened in 1962. The Malco is now home to the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute, which has an annual festival.
The Arlington Hotel was built in 1924 and was designed by the same architects who designed the Fordyce bathhouse. It still functions as a hotel, and is a very nice place to stay.
I hope you enjoyed my trip to Hot Springs. It's a neat place to go, and it seems like downtown Hot Springs has more older intact buildings than we do in Little Rock. And the best part about these older buildings is that someone knows the history of them. Maybe it's the fact that it's part of the National Park system. The area around the hot springs and the bathhouses was established as a National Park on 4 March 1921. It's the oldest National Park currently in the system.
The water comes out of the ground at an average temperature of 143°F.
The warmth of the water was a nice contrast to the cool air today. Just standing near these pools, I could feel the warmth rising up.
The Tunnel Spring behind the Maurice Bathhouse.
A drinking spring behind the Maurice Bathhouse.
Another source of steaming water, this time with a basin shaped like a shell. I love the growth that seems to follow anywhere the water flows.
A steaming fountain. I don't think I've seen one of these before. The water is coming from the hot spring.
And now for the bathhouses:
The Superior Bathhouse was originally built in 1883. The structure you see here was built in 1916, replacing the previous structure with the same name, and is currently being renovated.
The Hale Bathhouse was originally built in 1892, and remodelled twice, once in 1916, and again in 1938. The 1938 modifications changed the structure from Neoclassical to Spanish Revival. It is also being renovated.
The Maurice Bathhouse was built on the same site as a former bathhouse. The Maurice opened in 1912, and was remodelled in 1915. This bathhouse also had a rooftop garden and a therapeutic pool.
A detail of some stained glass from the side of the Maurice. This bathhouse is also in the process of being renovated.
The Fordyce Bathhouse was built in 1915. It is the largest, most ornate structure on bathhouse row. I particularly like the design in the brickwork, and the terra cotta work around the windows.
Here's a closer view of the entry, with the copper and stained glass.
And one of the windows.
And finally, a view of the inside. They are not responsible for valuables.
In case you can't tell, this is the one bathhouse that's already restored. It serves as the visitor center. They were already closed by the time I got there, or else I would have gone nuts inside, since you can walk all through the place.
There are other bathhouses on down the row, but we didn't make it to see all of them. It was starting to get dark and Enzo was getting crabby. So, you have 4 more bathhouses to see at some point.
I have a couple of other pictures of miscellaneous buildings to share:
The Malco Theatre, built in 1935. It was redecorated and reopened in 1962. The Malco is now home to the Hot Springs Documentary Film Institute, which has an annual festival.
The Arlington Hotel was built in 1924 and was designed by the same architects who designed the Fordyce bathhouse. It still functions as a hotel, and is a very nice place to stay.
I hope you enjoyed my trip to Hot Springs. It's a neat place to go, and it seems like downtown Hot Springs has more older intact buildings than we do in Little Rock. And the best part about these older buildings is that someone knows the history of them. Maybe it's the fact that it's part of the National Park system. The area around the hot springs and the bathhouses was established as a National Park on 4 March 1921. It's the oldest National Park currently in the system.
posted by carrie at 1/15/2005 06:16:00 p.m.
1 Comments:
I hadn't gone to Hot Springs to play tourist in quite a while. It's been years. The last time I was there prior to yesterday was just after Enzo was big enough to sit up in a high chair, and we went to dinner with some friends and ate at Rod's Pizza Cellar. Yummy place to eat, by the way.
Publicar un comentario
<< Home