Oak Ridge Wayside: The Swimming Hole

The Oak Ridge Swimming Pool wayside.

NPS/KLEIN

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto

Subtitle
A Recreational Oasis inside the Secret City

Main Text 

Before the Manhattan Project, a spring-fed lake known as the “Duck Pond” once provided water for horses and cattle along Emory Road, an early route used in the settlement of Middle Tennessee. During World War II, a town sprung up seemingly overnight, complete with shopping centers, movie theaters, bowling alleys, sporting facilities, and recreation halls. Residents of the Clinton Engineer Works could escape the summer heat and enjoy their leisure time cooling off across the street from Grove Center. There is some uncertainty as to when the pool was constructed, although photographic records indicate that the concrete pool was poured in June 1945. This 58,630-square-foot swimming pool holds 2.2 million gallons of water and is reputed as being one of the largest spring-fed swimming pools in the United States. In 1992, the pool underwent renovations and the wooden raft island was replaced with a permanent structure, and roughly 400 gallons of paint was used to recoat the pool.  

Exhibit Panel Description 
A black and white exhibit panel on a black frame approximately four feet tall. The panel has a black band at the top and a title underneath that reads “The Swimming Hole: A Recreational Oasis inside the Secret City”. The center of the panel is covered by a black and white photograph of a large public swimming pool with dozens of bathers and several temporary houses on a hill behind the pool. The text of the exhibit panel is located at the top. 
 
 
Visit This Exhibit Panel 
The Swimming Pool wayside is located in a parking lot off Robertsville Rd. The address is 172 Providence Rd. Oak Ridge, TN 37830.