On This Day in the Old West March 14

 For today, let’s be a little hedonistic. On March 14, 1896, the Sutro Baths opened outside of Cliff House in San Francisco. The baths, the world’s largest indoor swimming pool establishment, were built on the western side of San Francisco by the wealthy entrepreneur and former mayor, Adolph Sutro.

The baths were situated in a small beach inlet below Cliff House (which was also owned by Sutro at that time). Today, both Cliff House and the baths site are a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, operated by the US National Park Service.

In a 1912 article by J.E. Van Hoosear of Pacific Gas and Electric, we learn that Sutro used 100,000 square feet of glass, 600 tons of iron, 3.5 million board feet of lumber, and 10,000 cubic yards of concrete to build his baths. Facilities included:

·      Six saltwater pools and one freshwater pool. The baths were 499.5 feet long and 254.1 feet wide for a capacity of nearly 2 million US gallons. They were equipped with seven slides, 30 swinging rings, and one springboard.

·      A museum displaying an extensive collection of stuffed and mounted animals, historic artifacts, and artwork, much of which Sutro acquired from the Woodward’s Gardens estate sale in 1894.

·      A 2700-seat amphitheater, and club rooms with capacity for 1100

·      517 private dressing rooms

·      20,000 bathing suits and 40,000 towels to rent

 

During high tides, water would flow directly into the pools from the nearby ocean, recycling two million US gallons of water in about an hour. During low tides, a powerful turbine water pump, built inside a cave at sea level, could be switched on from a control room and could fill the tanks at a rate of 6,000 US gallons a minute, recycling the water in five hours.

At one time, the baths were serviced by two rail lines. The Ferries and Cliff House Railroad ran along the cliffs of Lands End overlooking the Golden Gate, from the baths to a terminal at California Street and Central Avenue (now Presidio Avenue). The second line, the Sutro Railroad, ran electric trolleys to Golden Gate Park and downtown San Francisco. Both lines were later taken over by the Market Street Railway.

Sutro was a colorful character with “passions for art and natural history,” and he incorporated his interests into his baths. According to the National Parks Service, “The front entrance contained natural history exhibits, galleries of sculptures, paintings, tapestries, and artifacts from Mexico, China, Asia, and the Middle East, including the popular Egyptian mummies. In addition to swimming, Sutro Baths offered visitors many other attractions, including band concerts, talent shows, and restaurants.”

After Sutro died in 1898, Sutro Baths struggled for years, mostly due to the astronomic operating and maintenance costs. The facilities were sold to a succession of owners, with each trying various ideas to make money. Eventually, the southernmost part was converted into an ice-skating rink, with a wall separating it from the now-dilapidated swimming pools. In addition to financial struggles, the baths became the focus of a significant civil rights battle in 1897, when John Harris sued Adolph Sutro after being denied entry due to his race. Harris won his case, making it a landmark victory against racial segregation in public facilities. This case “set an important precedent for future civil rights actions, underscoring the growing demand for equal treatment and access to public spaces.”

In 1966, a fire destroyed the building, which was in the process of being destroyed to make way for high-rise apartments. All that remains to this day are concrete walls, blocked-off stairs and passageways, and a tunnel with a deep crevice in the middle. The fire was determined to have been caused by arson, and shortly afterwards, the developers left the city and claimed insurance money. The land was eventually purchased by the National Parks.

If you’d like a special treat, watch this 1897 film of the baths by Thomas Edison!

 

J.E.S. Hays
www.jeshays.com
www.facebook.com/JESHaysBooks

 

Hartman, Sierra, “Rare Photos of Sutro Baths on its 119^th Anniversary,” The Bold Italic, https://thebolditalic.com/rare-photos-of-sutro-baths-on-its-119th-anniversary-the-bold-italic-san-francisco-9237ef8da4be

Martini, John, “Signs of Sutro Baths,” Open SF https://www.opensfhistory.org/osfhcrucible/2016/12/

Middleton, Chris , Amber Wright, and Clio Admin. "Sutro Baths." Clio: Your Guide to History. April 16, 2017.Accessed February 23, 2025. https://theclio.com/entry/15208