BRADFORD BEACH BATH HOUSEDesigned to look like a ship on water, the Bradford Beach bath house is centrally located on the beach. Opened in 1950, it was likely the first permanent building on Bradford Beach. The bath house is a two-storied, concrete building with bathrooms and a concession stand on the first floor, and storage space for boats and equipment as well as small offices for the lifeguards on the second floor. The second floor also has semi-covered seating areas and a long, open patio that provides beautiful vistas of the beach.
The patio was originally a wooden structure and housed showers. Presently, it has benches where beach-goers can sit and talk or get a tan. The benches in the semi-open areas are usually occupied by a younger crowd, many of whom come to the beach to play volleyball or to have lunch. When near the water, the bath house, because of its length, blocks the view of the road. This makes Bradford Beach seem like a getaway destination and allows people on the beach to feel removed from the city. A bridge that connects the bath house to Lake Park furthers the illusion of isolation from the city. |
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Bathhouse Story
Ringo (Mike White) describes a particularly warm day in March during the 1980s, spent at the Bradford Beach Bathhouse. Relaxation in the sun is prematurely ended when the temperature drops!
- Mike White, interview by Maia Stack, Milwaukee, June 26, 2013.