Greenbelt in Prince George's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Swimming Pool

Photographed by Tom Fuchs, September 4, 2006

1. Swimming Pool Marker

Click on image to zoom in to examine photos.

Inscription. Progressive planners equipped Greenbelt with the kinds of outdoor athletic facilities that only rich people could afford during the Great Depression. Greenbelt’s original outdoor swimming pool opened on Memorial Day 1939. It was reportedly the only public pool in the state. Residents also enjoyed a handball court, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, playgrounds, and baseball diamonds. Local residents still play tennis and field sports beyond the swimming pool on Braden Field.

Greenbelt continues to offer superior recreational amenities. The City of Greenbelt reconsructed the outdoor pool entirely in 1988. The new pool features a graduated entrance area for small children, and a toadstool and slide for older children. The current Aquatic and Fitness Center opened in September 1991 with an olympic-size pool. The new building with the current entry way is attached to the right of the original bathhouse, which the city remodeled in 1993 to house a fitness center. Elements of the original bathhouse remain: Notice the three circular windows above the original entry way.

(Caption for photos on left side of marker) Swimmers enjoyed a high diving board and a long slide in the original pool. Photographs from circa 1950.
(Captions of photos on right side of marker) On hot summer days people flocked to

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

the Greenbelt pool from the surrounding areas.

Erected by Greenbelt Museum.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers • Sports. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1991.

Location. 39° 0.095′ N, 76° 52.649′ W. Marker is in Greenbelt, Maryland, in Prince George's County. It can be reached from Crescent Road near Southway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Greenbelt MD 20770, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Eleanor Roosevelt (within shouting distance of this marker); City of Greenbelt (within shouting distance of this marker); Community Center (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Roosevelt Center (about 400 feet away); Gas Station (about 800 feet away); Greenbelt Museum (approx. 0.2 miles away); Greenbelt Homes Inc. (approx. ¼ mile away); Greenbelt Historic District (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Greenbelt.

Greenbelt Swimming Pool image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Fuchs, September 4, 2006

2. Greenbelt Swimming Pool

Credits. This page was last revised on January 12, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2007, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,790 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 12, 2007, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.