Bimini Baths (also, Bimini Hot Springs and Sanitarium; currently Bimini Slough Ecology Park) was a geothermal mineral water public bathhouse and plunge in what is now

Koreatown, Los Angeles Koreatown ( ko, 코리아타운) is a neighborhood in central Los Angeles, California, centered near Eighth Street and Irolo Street. Koreans began immigrating in larger numbers in the 1960s and found housing in the Mid-Wilshire area. Many open ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, US. It was situated just west of

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

, near Third Street and

Vermont Avenue Vermont Avenue is one of the longest running north–south streets in City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, California. With a length of , is the third longest of the north–south thoroughfares in the region. For most of its length betwe ...

. Bimini Baths contained a natatorium, swimming pools, swimming plunge,

Turkish bath A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...

s, a medical treatment department, and bottling works.

History

In the 19th century, the area was a marsh with natural hot springs. The waters were discovered during oil drilling exploration. They were discovered by a man who was boring for oil at a depth of under of solid white marble. Named after the Bahamian island of

Bimini Bimini is the westernmost district of the Bahamas and comprises a chain of islands located about due east of Miami. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately west-northwest of Nassau. The populat ...

, the venue was owned and operated by Dr. David W. Edwards, president and treasurer of the Bimini Water Company; and David W. Edwards, Jr. served as vice president and secretary. The company was founded December 31, 1902. In 1903, the bath house opened. In the following year, Bimini Hotel was built across the street, and the spring waters were pumped to it. In 1917, J. J. Warrick was manager of the baths and sanitarium. An outdoor pool was added to the baths in 1921. Mexicans were only allowed into the Bimini Baths "when it was too dirty for whites to swim in" it. Besides the baths, the Bimini Water Company delivered plain and carbonated water to Los Angeles residents. The company provided the water prior to 1915 when the city mains installation occurred. The business went bankrupt in 1951 and the buildings were demolished in 1956. In the present day, the springs area has become Bimini Slough Ecology Park, featuring native plant stands and a creekbed. The hotel has become headquarters for the Mary Lind Foundation.

Hot springs

The well was reported to yield 100 gallons a minute of water at a temperature of 104 °F. The primary alkalinity of the water gave it a peculiar soft feeling that led to the nickname, "the velvet baths." The well was drilled deep in Tertiary age sediments that make up the oil formation in this locale. Containing no sulphur, it carries a large quantity of

sodium carbonate Sodium carbonate, , (also known as washing soda, soda ash and soda crystals) is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2CO3 and its various hydrates. All forms are white, odourless, water-soluble salts that yield moderately alkaline solutions ...

and

sodium chloride Sodium chloride , commonly known as salt (although sea salt also contains other chemical salts), is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. With molar masses of 22.99 and 35.45 g ...

, with some

potassium chloride Potassium chloride (KCl, or potassium salt) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in water, and its solutions have a salt ...

magnesium carbonate Magnesium carbonate, (archaic name magnesia alba), is an inorganic salt that is a colourless or white solid. Several hydrated and basic forms of magnesium carbonate also exist as minerals. Forms The most common magnesium carbonate forms are ...

, iron, alumina, and free carbonic acid.

Architecture and fittings

The large wooden building contained a 50-yard main pool, a separate pool for women, and other private pools. In addition, the venue had a cafe, pool observation balcony, and 500 dressing rooms. The original building was destroyed in 1905 during a fire. It was rebuilt in 1906 in

Mission revival The Mission Revival style was part of an architectural movement, beginning in the late 19th century, for the revival and reinterpretation of American colonial styles. Mission Revival drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century ...

style by a design of

Thornton Fitzhugh Thornton Fitzhugh (1864–1933) was an American architect. Among his major works are the Beaux Arts and Romanesque Pacific Electric Building in downtown Los Angeles, California, and a number others which are listed on the U.S. National Register ...

. The new construction featured a

Turkish Bath A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...

, additional pools, and rooftop gardens. The bathing resort also featured a sanitarium. Tub baths and three large swimming plunges were available for the public. A sanitarium hotel nearby was under the same management.

History

Hot springs

Architecture and fittings

References

Further reading