The Lancaster Bathtub That Started a Revolution

Lancaster's Bathtub Revolution: How America’s First Tub Made a Splash

Did you know Lancaster, PA, was home to America’s first bathtub? In 1839, Jacob Demuth installed this trailblazing tub at 116 East King Street, marking the start of a hygiene revolution. Crafted from heavy wood and reinforced with iron bands, the tub resembled a modern bathtub in shape but was filled the old-fashioned way—with water heated in a tea kettle and poured by hand.

At the time, bathing was a luxury, and the city charged a $3 annual fee for each tub’s water supply—about $102 in today’s money. By year’s end, Lancaster boasted a grand total of nine bathtubs. Scandalous, right?

While Lancaster’s records don’t mention anti-bathing laws, other cities weren’t as open-minded. Philadelphia banned more than one bath a week, and Boston fined offenders for "excessive" cleanliness. Imagine being hauled into court for simply taking a bath!

Though the Demuth tub was retired in 1890, its impact on hygiene practices lives on. It may not have survived to the present day, but Lancaster’s role in this small yet vital revolution is undeniable.

Curious to learn more about the quirks, controversies, and mysteries of the Demuth bathtub? To learn more, visit UnchartedLancaster.com.

Learn about other unique people and places like this when you step off the beaten path with Uncharted Lancaster: Field Guide to the Strange, Storied, and Hidden Places of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by Adam Zurn. This one-of-a-kind 239-page guidebook uncovers 56 fascinating sites, from the county’s very own fountain of youth to the oldest continuously operating short-line railroad in the western hemisphere. Order your copy here.