
Orchard Beach
The photo above, taken July 29, 2014, shows only a small part of the beach and half of the bathhouse.
Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2014Orchard Beach
Orchard Beach
Description
Orchard Beach is an artificial beach 6,000 feet long on Pelham Bay in Pelham Bay Park on the east side of The Bronx, built by WPA workers under the direction of the New York City Parks Department. It required a major reconfiguration of the shoreline and sand imported from the Atlantic coast. It included many auxillary improvements, most notably a large bathhouse behind the beach. Researcher Frank da Cruz sums up New Deal involvement in developing the area based on multiple Parks Department press releases from the 1930s:
“Orchard Beach [was] created by the federal Work Projects Administration (WPA)[4] from a plan[1] developed in 1934 by NYC Parks Department architects, landscape architects, and engineers [who were themselves] paid by the federal Civil Works Admininistration (CWA)[2]. It was a massive project that joined several islands to the mainland and involved construction of access roads, parking lots, a bathhouse with plaza and dance floor; parkland, nature trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, an athletic field, tennis courts, two boat harbors, a huge bathhouse with locker rooms and restaurants and shops, a plaza, a terrazo, a boardwalk, and the beach itself [1], not to mention cleaning up the water itself[3].”
The bathhouse is a massive pavilion on the beach, which the New York Times recently described as “worthy of Mussolini or Speer — a vast, spare arcade, dwarfing the human figure. Overlooking Long Island Sound in the Bronx, it also has a humanistic side, as an ennobling public work of democratic ambition.” The bathhouse opened in 1936. It was in such demand that it was further expanded by the WPA in 1940 to hold almost 2,000 new lockers. The parking area and access roads were greatly expanded at the same time.
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The North wing of the bathhouse
The lower level used to be full of concession booths. Now all of them are closed and the vendors are gathered in right center selling from stands and carts.
The North wing of the bathhouse
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
The North wing of the bathhouse
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Less than half of the beach at Orchard Beach
It curves around Pelham Bay in horseshoe shape, made entirely by WPA labor. Before 1936 there was only a small beach here, now the beach is about a mile from end to end.
Less than half of the beach at Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
Less than half of the beach at Orchard Beach
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High Island
View of the island with its WCBS transmitter, seen from Orchard Beach. And in the background on the horizon: Hart Island, site of New York City's Potter's Field.
High Island
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
High Island
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City Island, seen from Orchard Beach
To the right, City Island Bridge that connects to mainland Bronx; to the left, the bridge to High Island, and behind it, Hart Island.
City Island, seen from Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
City Island, seen from Orchard Beach
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The north part of Orchard beach as seen from the south part.
The north part of Orchard beach as seen from the south part.
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
The north part of Orchard beach as seen from the south part.
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Parkland at Orchard Beach.
Parkland at Orchard Beach.
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
Parkland at Orchard Beach.
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The boardwalk at Orchard Beach
The boardwalk at Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
The boardwalk at Orchard Beach
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The spooky, deserted, decaying north wing of the Orchard Beach bathhouse
The concessions, terraces, and plaza used to be crammed with people before the building was closed.
“The fabled Orchard Beach bathhouse, victim to years of salt water in the air and benign neglect, is crumbling. Now officials are weighing whether to replace it. The storied Depression-era building that welcomes crowds to Orchard Beach is now being studied to determine if its crumbling facade, as well as its often off-limits 90,000 square foot interior, should be repaired or replaced with a new green building, Parks Department officials said ... Shortly after it opened in the 1930s and 1940s, the building was home to a full service restaurant, changing facilities, locker rooms, and other amenities.” (Bronx Times, June 27, 2012).
The spooky, deserted, decaying north wing of the Orchard Beach bathhouse
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
The spooky, deserted, decaying north wing of the Orchard Beach bathhouse
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The plaza on the upper level that overlooks the terrazzo
It once had had an elegant restaurant underneath it, behind the yellowish shutters.
The plaza on the upper level that overlooks the terrazzo
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved July 2014
The plaza on the upper level that overlooks the terrazzo
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Orchard Beach grounds
Orchard Beach grounds
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved July 2014
Orchard Beach grounds
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Orchard Beach bathhouse
Orchard Beach bathhouse
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
Orchard Beach bathhouse
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Orchard Beach parking lot
The legendary Orchard Beach parking lot built by the WPA in 1934-36, accommodating somewhere between 3500 and 7000 cars. The panorama shot taken May 14, 2017, barely does it justice (hint: maximize your browser and click the Enlarge button above; also click the image at left to see the parking lot from space; it's the big grey area behind the beach). For four generations now, this parking lot has been the spot where everybody in Bronx came to learn how to drive, especially in off-season when it's mostly empty as in this photo. Today when you enter the lot, you are greeted by a sign saying something to the effect of “Driving instruction not permitted.”-- Frank da Cruz
Orchard Beach parking lot
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2017-5-14
Orchard Beach parking lot
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Orchard Beach information sign in Spanish for people entering from the parking lot
In 2009, 31.9% of the Bronx population were immigrants, and the Orchard Beach crowds reflect this diversity. Salsa music dominates, often with live orchestras playing. It's not for nothing that the Bronx is known as El Condado de la Salsa. -- Frank da Cruz
Orchard Beach information sign in Spanish for people entering from the parking lot
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
Orchard Beach information sign in Spanish for people entering from the parking lot
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Orchard Beach basketball courts
The WPA built 32 tennis courts here, which were later converted for basketball, handball, and volleyball in keeping with the preferences of today's Bronx population.
Orchard Beach basketball courts
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
Orchard Beach basketball courts
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Northern promenade at Orchard Beach
This northern part of Orchard Beach was Hunters Island before the WPA connected it with the Bronx mainland. This photo shows northern promenade at Orchard Beach, with handball courts visible in the background, and a concrete WPA drinking fountain at left.
Northern promenade at Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2017-5-14
Northern promenade at Orchard Beach
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This is the north end of the big mile-long horshoe
The WPA put this beach here. Prior to 1934 there were only some scattered islands. Good job too; the beach is still here more than 80 years later. -- Frank da Cruz
This is the north end of the big mile-long horshoe
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2017-5-14
This is the north end of the big mile-long horshoe
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WPA-built snack bar at the north end of Orchard Beach
Telltale brick and concrete construction and rounded corners.
WPA-built snack bar at the north end of Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2017
WPA-built snack bar at the north end of Orchard Beach
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The standard classic WPA concrete water fountain.
There are many of these at Orchard Beach and also in hundreds of parks and playgrounds all over New York City.
The standard classic WPA concrete water fountain.
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
The standard classic WPA concrete water fountain.
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The majestic sweep of the beach with the promenade to the left
Researcher Frank da Cruz suspects that the benches we see today were made by the WPA. He notes that the WPA made this type of bench at Orchard Beach (concrete slates with wooden slats) and elsewhere.
He remarks that "the bench shown here definitely exhibits the same 'salt-spray rot' as bathhouse so is likely the same age. Of course the wooden slats in all Parks Department benches are replaced periodically, but the concrete tends to stay put."
Da Cruz also points out that "the wooded area to the north was formerly Hunters Island and Twin Islands, all fused into the Bronx mainland by the WPA."
The majestic sweep of the beach with the promenade to the left
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
The majestic sweep of the beach with the promenade to the left
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WPA comfort station at the north end of Orchard Beach
Researcher Frank da Cruz explains that this comfort station is designed "in Classic Modern style with rounded corners on the front but square ones in back (like the snack bar), and with unusual window shapes." He also points out "[a]nother concrete WPA drinking fountain stands in the foreground."
WPA comfort station at the north end of Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2017-5-14
WPA comfort station at the north end of Orchard Beach
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Close-up of of the WPA comfort station at the north end of Orchard Beach
Researcher Frank da Cruz notes that "Everything appears to be original except the gutters"
Close-up of of the WPA comfort station at the north end of Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2017-5-14
Close-up of of the WPA comfort station at the north end of Orchard Beach
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View of the very edge of Orchard Beach's vast acreage of meadows, forests, and wilderness trails
View of the very edge of Orchard Beach's vast acreage of meadows, forests, and wilderness trails
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2017-5-14
View of the very edge of Orchard Beach's vast acreage of meadows, forests, and wilderness trails
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Orchard Beach meadows and forest
Orchard Beach meadows and forest
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reservedq 2017-5-14
Orchard Beach meadows and forest
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View from the part of Orchard Beach that was once Hunter Island
Looking east across a small bay towards what used to be Twin Island an Two Trees Island, all joined together by the WPA in 1934-36. These areas are now full of nature trails.
View from the part of Orchard Beach that was once Hunter Island
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
View from the part of Orchard Beach that was once Hunter Island
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The Orchard Beach Entrance
The Orchard Beach entrance, seen from the Park Drive oval on Orchard Beach Lagoon.
The Orchard Beach Entrance
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
The Orchard Beach Entrance
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Approaching Orchard Beach from the bus depot
Approaching Orchard Beach from the bus depot
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
Approaching Orchard Beach from the bus depot
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Approaching the Orchard Beach main entrance from the bus depot
Approaching the Orchard Beach main entrance from the bus depot
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
Approaching the Orchard Beach main entrance from the bus depot
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Orchard Beach entrance staircase
with the "L" of the north wing of bathhouse, showing the blue terra-cotta tile motif used throughout the building.
Orchard Beach entrance staircase
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved
Orchard Beach entrance staircase
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A corner of the bathhouse peeping up through the foliage
A corner of the bathhouse peeping up through the foliage
Photo: Frank da Cruz © All Rights Reserved
A corner of the bathhouse peeping up through the foliage
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The side of the south bathhouse L as seen from the entrance plaza
The side of the south bathhouse L as seen from the entrance plaza
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source All Rights Reserved
The side of the south bathhouse L as seen from the entrance plaza
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Orchard Beach Pavillion in 1937
The pavilion at Orchard Beach in the Bronx in 1937, one year after it opened. The imposing complex and the half-mile-long beach it served were among the projects of Robert Moses.
Orchard Beach Pavillion in 1937
Source © The New York Times 1937
Orchard Beach Pavillion in 1937
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South Bathhouse Wing, Orchard Beach
The south bathhouse wing, deserted and fenced off, showing the same deterioration as the north wing.
South Bathhouse Wing, Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2014
South Bathhouse Wing, Orchard Beach
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Orchard Beach Bathhouse North Wing
“The Orchard Beach pavilion, with its soaring square pillars and glazed terra-cotta frieze, was more a stage set than a functional building. Though a 500-seat cafeteria occupied the lower level, the bulk of the building is for show, a grand backdrop that separates the vast parking area from the beach ... Since 2009, when chunks of concrete started to fall from the facade, the parks department has kept the public away from the bathhouse, encircling it with a chain-link fence.” (NY Times, April 4, 2014).
Orchard Beach Bathhouse North Wing
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2014
Orchard Beach Bathhouse North Wing
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Orchard Beach Rose Compass
Orchard Beach Rose Compass
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2014
Orchard Beach Rose Compass
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Orchard Beach Service Buildings
Small service buildings south of the bathhouse. The left one looks like a concession stand, the right one maybe a tool shed. Nothing fancy, to be sure, but with a distinct 1930s Art Moderne look.
Orchard Beach Service Buildings
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2014
Orchard Beach Service Buildings
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Orchard Beach Comfort Station
The bathhouse comfort station in a relatively advanced state of disrepair. Maybe the this was a shower bath, it's hard to tell.
Orchard Beach Comfort Station
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2014
Orchard Beach Comfort Station
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Orchard Beach
This photo attempts (without total success) to capture the entire horseshoe. You can see the beach on the far end if you click on the photo and maximize your browser, or just go on to the next photo. The north half of the beachhouse is at left.
Orchard Beach
Photo: Frank da Cruz Source © All Rights Reserved 2014
Orchard Beach
Source notes
[1] NYC Parks Dept press release, May 15, 1934
[2] NYC Parks Dept press release, October 29, 1934
[3] Documents dated June 1, 1935, and May 22, 1935, in the NYC Parks Department archive for 1935.
[4] NYC Parks Dept press release, July 23, 1936, misfiled in the 1937 press release archive.
[5]The New York Times: The People's Palaces at the Beach by Lisa W. Foderaro, April 4, 2014
[6]Millett, John D. The Works Progress Administration in New York City, New York (Arno Press). 1978: 102.
[7]NY Times - A High-Minded Pavilion for a Day on the Sand
[8]NYC Parks Dept press release, May 29, 1940.
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.
SUBMIT MORE INFORMATION OR PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THIS SITE
Isn’t it true that Orchard Beach had fallen on hard times following WW2, and that for many years it was not in good form, and that Robert Wagner at the beginning of his 3rd term, had the army corps of engineers come in a drudge it out and thus refurbished the beach for Bronx residents only?
https://urbanize.city/nyc/post/first-look-orchard-beach-pavilion-reconstruction-bronx