What is dumbbell tenements?

Dumbbell tenements were a style of apartment buildings built in the United States in the late 19th century. They were named for their unique shape, which resembled the dumbbell used in weightlifting.

These buildings were designed to maximize space within a narrow city block and were typically five to seven stories tall. They featured narrow, airless corridors and small, dark apartments which were often overcrowded due to the high demand for cheap housing in rapidly growing cities. They lacked many basic amenities such as running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing.

Dumbbell tenements were notorious for being unsanitary, disease-ridden, and fire-prone. The cramped and unsanitary living conditions in these buildings contributed to the spread of disease among the poor and working-class populations who lived in them.

As public awareness of the horrors of dumbbell tenements grew, urban reformers and architects called for regulated building codes and a focus on affordable, safe, and healthy living conditions for lower-income residents. Eventually, cities began to adopt strict housing regulations and building codes to prevent the construction of such buildings.