Lyons Pool Recreation Center
The Lyons Pool Recreation Center is a public swimming pool complex in the Tompkinsville neighborhood of Staten Island in New York City. The complex is situated on the island's North Shore, next to New York Harbor, and consists of a general swimming pool and two smaller pools for diving and wading. The pool complex is served by a one-story brick bathhouse designed in the Art Moderne style, which runs along the pool in an L shape. The bathhouse consists of a northern wing for the women's shower and locker rooms, a western wing for the men's shower and locker rooms, and a connecting rotunda with a main lobby. The pool and recreation center are maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
The pool and bathhouse, along with the adjacent George Cromwell Center, were designed by Joseph L. Hautman as part of a Works Progress Administration project in 1935–1936. Opened on July 7, 1936, the Lyons Pool was the only WPA-era pool built on Staten Island. Following a series of minor upgrades over the years, the Lyons Pool was extensively renovated between 1984 and 1986. The complex, including the interior of the bathhouse's lobby, was designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2008. After the neighboring George Cromwell Center was demolished in 2013, plans for a new recreation center above the pool's parking lot were announced in 2017. The new facility, known as the Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center, is under construction as of 2025.
Description
The Lyons Pool Recreation Center is in the Tompkinsville neighborhood of Staten Island in New York City. The complex is on the island's North Shore next to New York Harbor. It occupies a site bounded by Murray Hulbert Avenue to the east and southeast, Hannah Street to the south, a dead-end section of Victory Boulevard to the north, and the Staten Island Railway to the west. A footbridge crosses the SIR line, connecting the pool complex's entrance with the main section of Victory Boulevard to the west. Because the site is on reclaimed land, the pool complex has sump pumps to prevent seawater from entering the pool area.The facility is composed of three separate pools and covers approximately ; of this, the bathhouse and pools cover. The pool complex is one of eleven in New York City built in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration, a federal agency created to combat the Depression's negative effects as part of the New Deal. Of these eleven pools, only two were not associated with an existing park; Joseph H. Lyons Pool was one of them. It was also the largest public pool on Staten Island.
Bathhouse
The bathhouse is a one-story structure, clad almost entirely in red brick, extending in an "L" shape along the western and northern sides of the site. The north wing contains the women's showers and women's locker rooms, while the west wing contains the men's showers, men's locker rooms, and the boiler and plant house. There is a one-and-a-half-story rotunda at the northwestern corner of the bathhouse, along with a smokestack at the middle of the bathhouse's western elevation. The rotunda includes a lobby that provides access to the lockers and showers in each wing.North wing
The north wing's northern elevation sits above a concrete water table and is divided vertically into sixteen bays, which are grouped in three sections. The easternmost section is two bays wide and contains a curved corner; within the easternmost section, the bricks are laid in horizontal courses, which are variously recessed or flush with the rest of the facade. Each bay of the eastern section is flanked by round columns and, from bottom to top, consists of a recessed brick wall, a concrete window sill, a hopper window, and an aluminum window with a grille. This section is topped by a bluestone parapet. The central section is eight bays wide and is recessed behind a concrete-and-gravel areaway with mechanical equipment. Each bay of the central section has a red brick wall segment topped by segmentally arched openings with windows or ventilation louvers. The bays in the central section are separated by protruding round columns, and there is a sheet-metal coping and a railing above the facade. The westernmost six bays consist of the protruding rotunda, which is flanked by flat segments of wall.The eastern elevation is two bays wide and leads to a raised, enclosed concrete plaza at the same level as the pool deck. The plaza is surrounded by planting beds to the east and north; it has a steep ramp descending north to Victory Boulevard, along with metal gates with brick cheek walls, or side walls, leading south to the pool. The facade itself is divided vertically into two bays and contains a curved corner at either end. The lower half of the facade is clad in brick and has two metal doors topped by a cast-concrete canopy. In the upper half, there are hopper windows and recessed tripartite windows above each of the doors. Each bay is separated by rounded brick columns. At the southeast corner is a curved wall that surrounds a staircase to the roof, with a gate blocking off access to the staircase.
The southern elevation is ten bays wide. In the westernmost bay is a stoop leading to the pool office and another stair from the pool office to the roof deck. The westernmost bay has a door and some windows, flanked by round columns, and is illuminated by a lamp. The other nine bays consists of a red brick wall segment topped by segmentally arched openings with hopper windows. The bays are separated by protruding round columns, and there is a sheet-metal coping and a railing above the facade. In two of the bays, the red-brick wall segments beneath the windows contain metal doors. Additionally, there is a protruding brick wall concealing the women's locker room entrance. Some signage is stenciled onto the facade.
Rotunda
The rotunda protrudes from the north wing. The rotunda's exterior contains two segmental arches, with recessed doors flanked by sidelights and topped by transom windows. These doors lead to the building's lobby, which in turn leads to the locker rooms, showers, and pool. There is a metal sign above the doors, with the name "Joseph H. Lyons Pool", as well as lights and an alarm box on the facade. Above the doorways is an upper clerestory level with tall, narrow segmentally arched openings; these contain aluminum sash windows. A coping made of bluestone is placed atop the upper clerestory level, as well as above the rotunda's drum. To the west of this rotunda is a set of windows with grilles above them, as well as a louvered doorway. The northwest corner of the rotunda contains a curved brick wall, which conceals a concrete stairway that, until the 1980s, was connected to a footbridge above the Staten Island Railway's Tompkinsville station.The interior of the rotunda is a circular space with ticket counters, a package room, and an alcove with telephones. Hallways lead south to the men's lockers and showers in the western wing and east to the women's lockers and showers in the north wing. The rotunda itself contains a terrazzo floor with a starburst pattern. The lower section of the wall is made of brick that is laid in alternating courses of headers and stretchers. This is topped by a frieze of cast concrete, followed by smooth clerestory walls with pairs of narrow windows. Above the entire lobby is a domed ceiling. Construction drawings indicate that the ceiling may have once contained a mural, and that the frieze and clerestory walls may have contained stenciled decorations. By the 21st century, the frieze, clerestory walls, and ceiling were all painted in an off-white color. There are also various signs, doors, and louvers placed on the rotunda's perimeter wall, as well as spotlights on the walls and ceiling. Turnstiles are placed on the terrazzo floors, though there is no longer a charge to use the building in the 21st century.
West wing
The west wing's western elevation is divided vertically into twenty bays. The northernmost part of the facade protrudes slightly next to the SIR line, concealing the stairway next to the rotunda. Immediately to the south is a narrow window facing south and three bays of rectangular windows facing west. This is followed by a second section with eight bays, which illuminate the men's lockers and shower rooms; the northernmost of these bays has a pair of windows, while the remaining seven bays have segmentally arched windows separated by round columns. This section has bluestone coping and a metal railing. The third section is three bays wide and is slightly taller than the other sections, with either recessed louvers or blind openings separated by round columns. The fourth, southernmost section has six bays that illuminate the filter room. This section lacks windows and instead features segmentally arched blind openings, some ventilation openings, a bluestone coping, and a metal roof rail.The southern elevation is mostly unornamented and faces south toward a parking lot. The roofline of this elevation steps down to the east because there is a staircase behind the wall. At the center of the southern elevation are two windows, one of which has a grille. The facade is topped by bluestone coping and a steel railing.
The eastern elevation is divided into two sections by a smokestack at the center of the facade. In the southern half of this elevation, the southernmost bay leads to the stair on the southern elevation. Between this stair and the smokestack are six bays, with red-brick wall segments and segmentally arched windows separated by round columns; two of these bays have doors, and one bay has a louver. The facade is topped by bluestone coping and a steel railing. At the center of the facade, a semicircular smokestack protrudes from a concave niche and tapers as it rises. The top of the smokestack is ornamented with the logo of New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and horizontal concrete bands. The northern half of the eastern elevation is eight bays wide and similar in design to the southern half. In two of the bays, the red-brick wall segments beneath the windows contain metal doors. Additionally, there is a protruding brick wall concealing the men's locker room entrance. Some signage is stenciled onto the facade.