Swimming pools have come a long way since ancient times. If you are considering installing a pool in your own backyard, consult with a pool contractor in Salt Lake City to learn all about pool installation, in-ground pools, and swimming pool history. Continue reading to discover some amazing facts about pools.
Swimming Pool History in the United States
In the United States, the clubhouse at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia features what is considered to be one of the world’s first modern aboveground swimming pools; the clubhouse pool was built in 1907. The oldest known concrete swimming pool was built in Texas in 1915 and is called the Deep Eddy Swimming Pool. After World War II, home swimming pools started to become popular in the United States, bolstered by Hollywood films like Million Dollar Mermaid, which publicized popular swimming sports of the time and made home pools desirable as status symbols. The U.S. National Swimming Pool Institute was founded in 1956, and was later renamed the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals, which is now the organization that develops pool installation and construction standards, as well as provides training to swimming pool builders and service technicians. In 1975, President Gerald Ford had an outdoor swimming pool installed at the White House.
The World’s Largest Swimming Pools
There are many contenders for the title of the world’s largest swimming pool. For example, the largest one ever built, allegedly, is an open-air pool in Moscow that was constructed using the foundation of the uncompleted Palace of Soviets. Other candidates are in Bangladesh, Sicily, Tokyo, and Garden City, Kansas. However, the Guinness Book of World Records ranks a seawater pool in Algarrobo, Chile, as the largest in the world.
Ocean Liner Pools
The first ocean liner to have an indoor swimming pool was the White Star Line’s Adriatic , built in 1907 . The famous, or infamous, RMS Titanic was the first to have both a swimming pool and gym. Nowadays, swimming pools are a common amenity on modern cruise ships.