Park Baths & Library
Location/Address
243 Duke Street, Sheffield, S2 5QP
Type
Description
A municipal complex that housed a library, swimming pool, public baths and laundry that was built circa 1902 and opened in 1904 - now the Park Library Community Centre, with the library service delivered by volunteers (according to the Sheffield City Council 'Our libraries' web page); the baths have closed.
The complex was provided by Sheffield Corporation. Park needed both baths and a library and a decision was taken to include both in one new complex. The opening of the bath and library was described by the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, in a report of 25th March 1904, as "A long-needed public boon" and the report went on to say that the new complex was a "great improvement for a district, the working-class quarters of which sorely need it". The headline of the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star report of the opening, 30th March 1904, was "Municipal progress in Sheffield".
The buildings are described by the Sheffield Daily Telegraph report as being "of brick, with stone facings, and form a rectangular two-storeyed block, with a main frontage to Duke Street, and other frontages to Samson Street and Coates Street... A feature of the building is the high chimney stack (120 feet) used in connection with the boiler furnaces for heating the water used in the baths." The swimming baths and slipper baths are described as being accessed off Samson Street, with the boiler and laundry in the basement; the library portion, accessed off Duke Street, was entirely shut off from the baths, with a lending library on the ground floor and a reading room on the first.
Designed by the City Surveyor , C. F. Wike (as was the earlier Attercliffe Library); the report of the baths opening in the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star, includes a speech by Councillor Cattell (Chair of the Baths Committee) - saying "The building was a standing monument to the great ability and architectural skill of the City Surveyor."
At the time of its opening, the main buildings are described in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph report, as overlooking open ground to the rear "on which there is room for extension up to the building line of a new street". The fourth side of the complex is now bounded by Blagden Street and extension within this block included the construction of an electricity sub-station, which is first shown on the revised 1935 1:2500 OS map, available at https://maps.nls.uk/ . Although a later addition, this should be considered part of the whole municipal complex. When the buildings opened in 1904, the Sheffield Daily Telegraph noted that "The buildings at night are lighted throughout by electricity; arc lamps being used over the swimming-baths", this still being considered a new innovation. The production and supply of electricity had become a municipal concern in Sheffield in 1898 and Mr S E Fedden "electric light manager" is listed by the Yorkshire Telegraph and Star as being present at the opening (as was C F Wike). The sub-station can be seen as an extension to provision of municipal services; electricity production and supply remained a municipal concern until after the second world war.
Statement of Significance
Asset type
Public Baths & LibraryAge
The building opened in 1904 and is a building of merit, relating to municipal provision. The slightly later sub-station, as well as indicating municipal provision, is also indicative of the growth of key infrastructure.Rarity
The building is rare for the local area, being the only public baths & library of this period built in Park. The chimney within the complex is itself now a rare survivor, as many such structures have been demolished as industrial premises in the city have closed.Architectural and Artistic Interest
An example of the work of C F Wike, City Surveyor, who was responsible for many key elements of the city's 'modernisation' programme in the late 19th/early 20th century; CF Wike was a Fellow of the Sheffield & District Society of Architects and Surveyors.Group Value
The bath & library building stands within a block bounded by Duke, Coates, Blagden and Samson Streets; this includes the slightly later electricity sub-station. These buildings should be considered as a group together - examples of growing municipal provision in the early 20th century.Historic Interest
The building has considerable social and communal interest. The baths were a significant addition to municipal health & welfare provision; the library was a significant addition to educational provision.Archaeological Interest
Photographs of the baths & library in the 20th century form part of the collection of Sheffield Archives.Landmark Status
The building is a physical landmark - its chimney, described in the opening report by the Sheffield Daily Telegraph, still stands and can be seen from some distance. The building also has strong communal or historical associations. For example, the reading sheffield website records the memories of a former library user, Jean, describing visiting the library from school in the 1930s and enjoying story-time with her class - adding, of these visits to Park Library, that children were "encouraged to use it regularly". The baths are also remembered, see for example https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/topic/61114-anyone-remember-park-baths/ where they are comments about school swimming sessions and learning to swim at the baths, e.g. "We used to do swimming there on a Wednesday morning from Park Hill school. I earned my orange 'I can swim' badge there"Images and Documents
Date Listed
15 Aug 2022
Last Updated
15 Jun 2022
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