Maurice Bathhouse

Maurice Bathhouse is a three-story, 1912 building between Fordyce and Hale on Bathhouse Row. Pause here if the district’s architecture and bathing history interest you; it works best as one stop on the Row walk rather than a separate outing. From the public sidewalk, look for the teal trim, tall upper windows and five large arches across the front.

New York architect George Gleim Jr. designed Maurice to replace an earlier bathhouse called the Independent. When it opened on January 1, 1912, it was described as Hot Springs’ first fully modernized bathhouse, with updated heating, plumbing and ventilation, twin elevators, a gym and a roof garden. It was planned to serve up to 650 bathers a day.

In the 1930s, a therapeutic pool was installed in the basement for arthritis and polio treatment. It was the only pool of its kind on Bathhouse Row, and Maurice provided more than 2.5 million therapeutic baths over the next six decades. That’s the detail that makes this more than another handsome facade.

Maurice is one of eight bathhouse buildings in the Bathhouse Row and Grand Promenade National Historic Landmark District, designated in 1987. NPS describes its design as a blend of Italian Renaissance Revival and Mediterranean styles. For a photo, include the upper windows and the lower arches together, with a little of a neighboring building at one edge to show how Maurice fits into the Row.