Oak Ridge in Anderson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Oak Ridge Municipal Outdoor Swimming Pool
Photographed by Dave W, August 19, 2022
1. Oak Ridge Municipal Outdoor Swimming Pool Marker
This large spring-fed swimming pool was once a watering hole on Tollunteeskee's Trail, later Emery Road, first road cut and cleared through this area In 1787. In 1944, the Manhattan Project improved and opened the new swimming pool on July 29, 1944, to serve the segregated white population. The total population of Oak Ridge peaked at 75,000 in August 1945. Additional construction by J. A. Johnson Construction Company in June 1945, formed the present-day spring-fed pool-among the largest in the nation. A Grand Opening celebration was held on July 4, 1945.
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Desegregated in 1955, the large outdoor pool has remained an oasis over the years for city residents, tourists, and patrons from surrounding communities. It is a civic icon and an Oak Ridge landmark remembered fondly by locals as well as a summer destination for families from across East Tennessee. The spacious pool has both a historic past and a potential to contribute to the quality of life in Oak Ridge for many future generations of local families and quests to our fair city.
Erected by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 1D 48.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Entertainment
this page online
Location. 36° 0.962′ N, 84° 15.879′ W. Marker is in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in Anderson County. It is on Providence Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 162 Providence Rd, Oak Ridge TN 37830, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee and in Greater Knoxville. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Swimming Hole (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Grove Center (about 700 feet away); First Integrated Public Schools in the Southeast (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Emery Road (approx. Ό mile away); Midtown Community Center (approx. Ό mile away); Middletown Trailer Park (approx. Ό mile away); International Friendship Bell (approx. 0.3 miles away); Y-12 The Calutron Plant (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Oak Ridge.
Photographed by Dave W, August 19, 2022
2. Oak Ridge Municipal Outdoor Swimming Pool Marker
Photographed by David Rozzelle, October 22, 2024
3. Oak Ridge Municipal Outdoor Swimming Pool Marker
Photographed by David Rozzelle, August 17, 2025
4. The Swimming Hole
Photographed by David Rozzelle, August 17, 2025
5. The Swimming Hole (Oak Ridge Municipal Outdoor Swimming Pool) showing the back side of the pool.
Photographed by David Rozzelle, August 17, 2025
6. The Swimming Hole (Oak Ridge Municipal Outdoor Swimming Pool) back of the pool to left of marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 1, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. This page has been viewed 714 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 1, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. 3. submitted on October 22, 2024, by David Rozzelle of Knoxville, Tennessee. 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 17, 2025, by David Rozzelle of Knoxville, Tennessee. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
