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Underground Bathrooms Unearthed in Scranton
Friday, May 11, 5:58 p.m.
By Josh Brogadir
A unique discovery has been made on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton.
Underground bathrooms have been unearthed as part of the courthouse renovations. The were as much a work of functional art as the buildings above them.
Click for larger image
Construction crews uncovered old bathrooms that were built in 1915 beneath Scranton's Courthouse Square.
"It was Georgia marble, white enamel, brass fixtures, rounded corners, all designed for sanitation and easy cleansing," explained Cheryl Kashuba of the Lackawanna Historical Society.
They weren't called restrooms when they were built back in 1915, they were known as comfort stations, a break for a bustling population of 150,000 Scrantonians in the early 20th century.
"So in its day it was considered the most modern, innovative and most beautiful comfort station in the country," Kashuba added.
To let you know how big this is, the entrance to the women's bathroom extends 12 feet below the ground, under Courthouse Square and connects to the men's entrance on the other side of the square.
The comfort stations were uncovered after all these years by construction crews renovating the Lackawanna County courthouse. They have been closed since the 1970s.
Attorney Tom Nolan of Dunmore recalls coming to courthouse square years ago. "I remember when they were open and when we were little kids it seemed like you were going on the subway. Of course, there was no subway," Nolan said.
For now the bathrooms will remain closed. It's too expensive to renovate them to use them again.
County commissioners are considering a plan to turn them into a museum; a comfortable site in downtown Scranton.
http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=6504336
Underground Bathrooms Unearthed in Scranton
Friday, May 11, 5:58 p.m.
By Josh Brogadir
A unique discovery has been made on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton.
Underground bathrooms have been unearthed as part of the courthouse renovations. The were as much a work of functional art as the buildings above them.
Click for larger image
Construction crews uncovered old bathrooms that were built in 1915 beneath Scranton's Courthouse Square.
"It was Georgia marble, white enamel, brass fixtures, rounded corners, all designed for sanitation and easy cleansing," explained Cheryl Kashuba of the Lackawanna Historical Society.
They weren't called restrooms when they were built back in 1915, they were known as comfort stations, a break for a bustling population of 150,000 Scrantonians in the early 20th century.
"So in its day it was considered the most modern, innovative and most beautiful comfort station in the country," Kashuba added.
To let you know how big this is, the entrance to the women's bathroom extends 12 feet below the ground, under Courthouse Square and connects to the men's entrance on the other side of the square.
The comfort stations were uncovered after all these years by construction crews renovating the Lackawanna County courthouse. They have been closed since the 1970s.
Attorney Tom Nolan of Dunmore recalls coming to courthouse square years ago. "I remember when they were open and when we were little kids it seemed like you were going on the subway. Of course, there was no subway," Nolan said.
For now the bathrooms will remain closed. It's too expensive to renovate them to use them again.
County commissioners are considering a plan to turn them into a museum; a comfortable site in downtown Scranton.
http://www.wnep.com/Global/story.asp?S=6504336
