Controversial Concrete

Controversial Concrete. Sesquicentennial State Park. , Does this building look radical to you? It was in the 1930s! , , Civilian Conservation Corps projects typically used native materials like stone, cypress, and pine for construction. But builders proposed something new for this bathhouse , concrete. , , Project administrators weren't happy with the idea. They worried that the bathhouse would look like a tomb in a cemetery. They finally agreed to the experiment because concrete would lower maintenance costs. , , In the end, the bathhouse was still made from native materials , builders used sand from the park to make the concrete. In the process, they created unique buildings that reflect their surrounding natural environment, the South Carolina Sandhills. , (captions) , Ca. 1939. Thanks to concrete's durability, the bathhouse hasn't changed much since it was built. National Archives, Atlanta, GA , , Ca. 1939. Is this one building or three? When costs went over budget, the project director argued this was actually three structures , a men's dressing room, a women's dressing room, and a concession stand! National Archives, Atlanta, GA , , It wasn't unusual for as many as 10,000 people to visit Sesquicentennial State Park on a weekend in the 1950s and 60s. , , Ca. 1950s. The bathhouse was designed for swimmers at the newly built lake. Notice all the cars? The park quickly became popular , and still is today.