Tuesday 17 January 2012

Pool postcard: Community swimming pool, Farquhar Park, York, Pennsylvania


I collect vintage postcards of swimming pools. I plan to post one a day as far as possible. If you know any of these places, especially the fate of the pool, I'd love to hear from you! At the International Swimming Hall of Fame website, I learned the following about this pool:

"The Farquhar Park Pool opened Thursday, July 8, 1922, in York, Pennsylvania. The Community Swimming Pool Association, a private group, was the owner. Following the opening of the swimming pool, The White Rose Amusement Park opened adjacent to it, long before Disney World, Six Flags, Hersheypark and other gigantic amusement havens of the current age.

The park had everything an amusement park required -- plus a huge dancing facility, White Rose Crystal Ball Room. Within the open-air structure was a restaurant. No bars in those days of prohibition. The dance hall was oval-shaped with a high ceiling.  Top flight orchestras provided music as the big band era was just getting under way.

In the late 1940’s, the pool was at the center of a racial controversy, as African Americans and other non-whites sought equal access to public areas.  Rather than allow non-whites to swim, community leaders chose to close the pool. "


I found that in 2007 it was operated by the YMCA, so guess it must have re-opened at some stage! I found a subsequent (undated) article in the York Daily Record which stated that "The $9.1 million YMCA Graham Aquatic Center, which replaces York's Farquhar Park Pool, will open June 12."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Sally,
I do follow your blog for some years now, and I enjoy every post of it. Thank you for sharing your passion and keep posting.
Jan

Sally said...

Thankyou so much - your visits & comment are very much appreciated.

Anonymous said...

The original farquhar pool is long gone, but there is an aquatic center outdoor pool newly built in 2010 (?) by the YMCA in the location of the original.

Sally said...

Thanks, Anon - great to know!