The Cameron Swimming Pool was dedicated on Thursday May 18, 1939
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Cameron Swimming Pool 1939 to Present |
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A PWA project, sponsored by the town through a special levy, made construction of the pool possible. Gordon Sammons, of Moundsville, Engineer for the project said today that upon completion the modernity and beauty of the pool, of a patented type, had excelled all expectations. The special levy will be layed for 3 years. The city owns its water plant. Approximately $4,000 in bonds were issued and the total cost of the project was 25,000. Moundsville Echo Article-written by Hazel Postlethwaite |
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Cameron Pool-Summer 2001 |
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The pool is semi-circular in shape. It is the first one of its type ever built by the Better Swimming Pools Inc., of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is equipped with flood lights, and vari-colored lights play over the surface of the water at night. There is an under water life guard room which looks out into the pool through port holes. The deep section of the pool is fenced off from the shallow section where children and in-experienced swimmers play. All around the semi circle; is a white sand beach from 15 to 25 feet wide for sun bathing. The sand was imported from Lake Michigan. |
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The half circle has a radius of 75 feet. The pool is 8 1/2 feet deep in swimming and diving section, and the shallow section tapers to a few inches in depth for children to play. The beauty of the pool is enhanced by ornamental, lighted fixtures. Moundsville Journal May 20, 1939 The pool opened in 1939 with two purposes in mind-recreation and the ability to serve as a 235,000 gallon emergency fire protection reservoir. |
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The unusual pool is truly a sight, but its unique half-moon shape was an accident. Originally, blueprints called for the pool to take the shape of a full circle, but tough rock prevented builders from following the original plans. On July 14, 1993, the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service listed the Cameron pool in the National Register of Historic Places. The 60-plus-year old pool has had only a few minor alterations over the years, and for the most part has remained true to its original state. |
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| Summer 2007 Pool News | |||||
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| The Pool does not support itself
financially, so Mayor Stern hopes to restore the facility to its original
state using grants from the National Register of Historic Places. He would
like to bring back the medium-height dive and high dive that were
two-thirds of the pool's original three tiers of diving boards. He would
also like to reconstruct the pole-mounted lifeguard chair that once stood
poolside, adorned with a pagoda shelter. Perhaps the pool's circumference
will once again be surrounded by sand to enhance the "beach
atmosphere". The big thing the mayor wants to use the grant money for
is to re-line the pool.
The city's tradition of offering free admission to children on Wednesdays will continue. Excerpts from News-Register-Wheeling, W.Va.- Wednesday, July 3, 2002 by Suzi Anderson - Staff Writer |
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| The community pool
in Cameron was the design of Frank B. Hunter of Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr.
Hunter gained some fame as the principal architect of many of the public
buildings in Indianapolis. During the late 30's he turned his talents to
the construction of a series of public swimming pools with a design based
upon the popular trend at the time-create an environment like that of a
lake or beach. In the case of Mr. Hunter's work, he created the Hunter
Seashore Pool, for which he received a US Patent. The features of this design included a central diving tower, a submarine viewing room, semi-circular layout, a gently sloping entry and a sand beach that surrounded the curved part of the pool. With landscaping, the pool made a striking appearance in addition to being very utilitarian and inviting to the public. Underwater and general area lighting allowed for evening use of the pool. Over the years of operation, this feature alone did much to encourage public use via pool parties and dances. In the earlier years of the pool, water shows featuring local youth performing diving and water ballet also provided a source of entertainment for the community. The pool was constructed as a PWA project-again making it historically significant. Funds were a mix of federal and community monies. Aside from the obvious recreational aspects of a pool, it also served a dual purpose. In 1895, the town suffered a catastrophic fire. Not only was there a lack of equipment to fight the fire, there was also a lack of an adequate water supply. In the consideration for building the pool, it was viewed that it could also serve as a water supply in emergency situations. Today the pool, still in operation, maybe the last surviving pool of its type in the world. A documentary about the pool, its history and evolution, and its relationship to the community is in the works. The finished piece will be televised via WV Public Television. Please be a part of this wonderful opportunity to save an Historic Landmark so that your children may enjoy the same wonderful experience of spending their summer at the Cameron Swimming Pool. Information courtesy of The Walkabout Company, L.L.C. |
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| The Walkabout Company, L.L.C. Richard Warmuth P.O. Box 3116, Wheeling, WV 26003 Ph: 304-242-8884 / Fax: 304-242-6156 Email: rwarmuth@gowalkabout.com http://www.gowalkabout.com | Please contact Richard Warmuth if you would be generous enough to allow his company to copy your pictures of the Cameron Swimming Pool for use in creating a documentary about the history of the Historic Cameron Swimming Pool. Funds from the sale of this video will help with the restoration and preservation of the Pool. Photos/Pictures from the 1950's to present day are needed. | ||||
| Monthly passes can be purchased for singles and families. Also, the pool can be rented for private parties. | |||||
