Demolition and construction will likely be starting soon on a new project at 207 - 11 Vine St. 207 Vine is a parking lot. 209 Vine St is a 3 1/2 story Flemish bond brick Greek revival building, built c. 1825. Somewhere between 1910 and 1917 a two story addition was built on the back of the building. Only the 1825 section will be retained.
211 Vine was built c. 1840 but had major alterations over the years. In the early part of the 20th century, it housed a kosher "Turkish" bathhouse, which survived to around 1940.
In the late 1800s and early 1900's, because few families had actual bathrooms or bathtubs, bathhouses (both public and private) were established in many neighborhoods. For five cents each bather was given a room or locker to change their clothes, a towel, soap and plenty of hot and cold water. Later on, as houses were built with bathrooms, bathhouses became places for (mainly) men to socialize and take a steam bath, known in Yiddish as a "shvitz".
211 - 13 Vine St, 1918, note 1916 map
signs for "Baths" on right side
of photo
1960's 2005 Proposed project
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