Midtown in Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Centennial Park Swimming Pool

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, April 2, 2022

1. Centennial Park Swimming Pool Marker

Inscription. Opened in 1932, the pool served Nashville's white community as a premier swimming facility for nearly 30 years. City officials abruptly closed the pool in 1961 after two African American student civil rights activists, Kwame (Leo) Lillard and Matthew Walker Jr., led an effort to desegregate the facility. The city responded by closing all Nashville public pools, blaming the sweeping closures on budgetary concerns.

While many neighborhood pools eventually reopened in 1963 under the newly consolidated metropolitan government, this facility sat vacant for 10 years—to some, a daily reminder of the city's racial divide. The pool's bathhouse was renovated and reopened as Centennial Art Center on April 23, 1972. The former deep end the swimming pool is preserved as a sunken lawn in the rear portion of the building's courtyard.

Donated by Centennial Park Conservancy in partnership with Creative Parks Nashville

Erected 2022 by The Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. (Marker Number 240.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 36° 9.159′ N, 86°

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48.775′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in Midtown. Marker can be reached from 25th Avenue North. Located within Centennial Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 25th Ave N, Nashville TN 37203, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Powder Grinding Wheels (within shouting distance of this marker); HCA Healthcare (within shouting distance of this marker); Pageantry & Promotion at the Exposition (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Woman Suffrage Rallies (about 400 feet away); A Lake Called Watauga (about 500 feet away); The Exposition's Negro Building (about 600 feet away); The Exposition Ends, Centennial Park Begins (about 700 feet away); The Tennessee Centennial Exposition (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay

2. Centennial Park Swimming Pool Marker

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, April 2, 2022

3. Centennial Park Swimming Pool Marker

The front of the Centennial Park Art Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, April 2, 2022

4. The front of the Centennial Park Art Center

The backside of the renovated bathhouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, April 2, 2022

5. The backside of the renovated bathhouse

The former shallow end of the pool is now a courtyard image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Darren Jefferson Clay, April 2, 2022

6. The former shallow end of the pool is now a courtyard

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 2, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 440 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 2, 2022, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.