Water, Water Everywhere: A Brief Investigation of Deterioration in the Superior, Hale, Maurice, Quapaw, and Ozark Bathhouses

Harrison LS. 1991. Water, Water Everywhere: A Brief Investigation of Deterioration in the Superior, Hale, Maurice, Quapaw, and Ozark Bathhouses. Historic Structure Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service

Hot Springs National Park was once known as Hot Springs Reservation. It was set aside in 1832 to protect the Park's primary resource, the hot springs. This type of Reservation was an early version of the National Park idea.Hot Springs was actually the first area in the United States to be set aside for its natural features.After Yellowstone was formed in 1872, Hot Springs was managed with it. In 1916 the National Park Service was formed and in 1921, Hot Springs Reservation changed its name to Hot Springs National Park, making it the 18th National Park in the Service. This study documents the condition of five bathhouses at Hot Springs National Park in February, 1991. The five bathhouses are the Superior, Hale, Maurice, Quapaw, and Ozark. All five are included in one historic property lease between the National Park Service and Arkansas entrepreneur Melvyn Bell. Although each bathhouse has specific problems, certain ones are common to all. These are: leaking roofs and leaking walls; structural problems, in some instances caused by construction on fill; large accumulations of interior moisture caused by inadequate ventilation, roof and wall leaks, and condensation; interior and exterior moisture problems caused by construction on top of or adjacent to hot springs; inadequate and poorly-maintained roof-drainage systems. No matter who occupies the structures, the buildings should undergo monthly inspections to monitor their conditions over time and to take corrective action when necessary. In addition, each bathhouse should be inspected during and after severe weather. The buildings should be put on a cyclic maintenance schedule immediately. This might slow the pace of deterioration of additional historic fabric.

Type
Published Report
Authors
Harrison, Laura
Date of Issue
1991-02
Publisher
U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Units
HOSP , MWR
Keywords
bathhouse, bathhouse row, concessions, Hale bathhouse, hot springs, Maurice bathhouse, Ozark Bathhouse, Quapaw bathhouse, spanish revival style, Superior bathhouse
Subjects
CRIS-HS: 000711: Hale Bathhouse , CRIS-HS: 000712: Maurice Bathhouse , CRIS-HS: 000715: Ozark Bathhouse , CRIS-HS: 000714: Quapaw Bathhouse , CRIS-HS: 000710: Superior Bathhouse

Series

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