preservation
Planning
In 2007, Farewell, Mills, Gatsch Architects LLC updated its 2003 plans for repairing these open-air structures. For project planners, the Bath House is two things at once:both an architectural gem and a dynamic location of community activity. Consistent with this, in addition to restoring the buildings to their original appearance, the architects also planned to ensure their continued, safe use for future generations by improving the structures, mainly through weatherizing, and making them easier to maintain.
Preservation plans for the site and structures included: removal of unsympathetic post-Kahn additions such as a snack bar, storage shed, and fence; replacement of elements removed from Kahn’s original construction, such as an entrance mural and gravel courtyard; and completion of landscaping and roof drainage called for in Kahn’s original design but never carried out.
In 2008, Ewing Township received a $750,000 grant from the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund for the Trenton Bath House. With these funds, the Bath House and two of the pavilions at the Day Camp were restored, and two other pavilions were rebuilt. The plans also called for a new picnic area, decorative fencing, an accessibility ramp, and a snack bar. Restoration plans for the Bath House and Day Camp were finalized in 2009.
Restoration of the Bath House and the Day Camp, and construction of a new snack bar and plaza, began in early 2010 and was completed in Spring 2011. Additional site improvements were also made throughout 2011 and 2012 including improvements to the pool, parking lot, and landscape.