A Little Known Black History Fact:
The Only African-American Bath House in America

The Woodmen of Union Building a/k/a The National Baptist Hotel and Bathhouse Future Home of P.H.O.E.B.E/The Uzuri Project 501 Malvern Avenue, Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Hot Springs, Arkansas known for its beautiful and splendid bathhouses that once tantalized fascinated and charmed many visitors worldwide. The hot springs water that flows continually from the magical mountainside is known for its soothing, relaxing and healing powers.

With Jim Crow laws being the rule of the day, except at inconvenient hours, Negroes were denied access to the beautiful bathhouses located on the bathhouse row. In 1924, the Honorable John L. Webb opened the international headquarters of the Supreme Lodge of the Woodmen of Union, a fraternity order. He implemented, erected and dedicated an elegant hotel/bathhouse known as "The Woodmen of Union Building".

This was a unique and artistic building, designed by the Tuskegee Institute architect W. T. Bailey in 1922. Although not located on bathhouse row, it is located downtown Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas on Malvern Avenue. It’s a magnificent red brick rectangular building which stands four-story high. A laced pattern of white bricks adorns the tope of the building giving it an Afrocentric appearance. Large picture windows align the base of the structure, welcoming people into a sociable atmosphere. There are several balconies, draping the front of the building, which overlook the historic Malvern Avenue a/k/a "Black Broadway".

This noble and majestic building housed a 100 bed hospital, a nurses training school for the colored, a 75 room bath hotel, The Woodmen of Union Bank, which was never allowed to open, a 2,500 seat auditorium, an electrically operated printing plant, and executive offices.

In 1950, the building was purchased by the National Baptist Association, USA and became known as the National Baptist Hotel and Bathhouse. In 1981, the hotel closed and in 1990 plans were set to demolish this magnificent work of African-American architecture.

In order to save the building, it was listed June 27, 1997 on the National Register for Historic Places. The year 2001 ended years of demolition and stays when a group Baxter & Brown, LLC in Lewisburg, Tennessee brought the building and stabilized it. This historic building will now be home to senior adults. Additionally, after two years of hard work P.H.O.E.B.E/The Uzuri Project, working with the community, local and state officials, July 16, 2003, the neighborhood that this building anchors was listed on the National Register of Historic Districts.  (READ MORE)