1323 Lakeshore Drive

1323 Lakeshore Drive. . , “The Finest Bath House on the Finest Beach", During the Great Depression, the Gladstone City Club saw an opportunity for funding through President Roosevelt's New Deal and made the recommendation to the City Council and Mayor Alfred Raddent, to build a new Bath House in the center of VanCleve Park. The research was done by the Parks and Harbor Commission, namely, G.R. Empson, George Beaudry, Dr. Otto Hult, Roger Smith, Will Marble and William Praits. In 1937, the commission traveled to Marquette and Menominee to view existing structures. The design selected was a 120x18 ft. concrete building with an 80x12 ft. veranda., The roof was waterproof cement, and the Neoclassical Art Deco design was very ornamental. Will Marble and George Fergusen prepared the original drawings, and the Architect was Derrik Hubert of Menominee. The funding came from the Federal Government through the WPA for $12,922. The City Millage was $4,300 and the Gladstone City Club donated $4,000. Work started on the project on June 15th, 1938, and by January 18th, 1939, the exterior was completed. The dedication took place in the summer of 1939. It was the finest bath house on the finest beach., In 1985 the Lake Michigan water levels were at an all-time high and the bath house was in danger of being washed away. The roof was crumbling, and stress cracks were evident throughout the building. It was no longer safe. Discussions began about building a new bath house and on February 23rd, 1999, the City Commission accepted a proposal from Timberland Engineering Inc. The Bath House was completed and dedicated in the summer of 2002 under the direction of City Manager Brian Horst.