Hometown History


Photo: V. Christopher via Flickr
Historic Bintz Pool awaits Creative Solution

We Trojans have been blessed with a bounty of public parks, each special in its own way. Whether learning to swim at one of our municipal pools, swinging away in one of our many pocket parks, tobogganing down the slopes, strolling through tree-lined paths or playing the back nine, Troy’s public green spaces and their historic structures tell the recreational story of our fair city. Each holds a significant place in her history. By being attentive, we can ensure that successive generations will also have them to enjoy. They are our parks and the proper stewardship of their magnificent beauty is every resident’s responsibility.

We should not depend solely on city departments such as Parks and Recreation or Public Works for their care. Groups such as Frear Park Conservancy, Friends of Prospect Park and Mount Ida Preservation Association were each formed to address the needs of particular municipal properties within their neighborhoods. Members of these groups have worked countless volunteer hours raking, planting and restoring our parks and city-owned cemeteries.

Over the years they’ve learned that by working with the appropriate departments within our city’s government, they are able to preserve an area’s historic character while facilitating much needed improvements. The recent restoration of the fountain at the main entrance of Frear Park is a wonderful example of public and private partnership when addressing historically significant public green spaces. Teaming up is the best way to get the job done and there will always be work to do.

The Art Deco style pool in Prospect Park is an example of another of our historically significant municipal structures in dire need of some attention. Closed to the public in 1994 because of its need of significant repairs, estimated to cost between $200,000 and $300,000 at the time, it has languished unattended ever since. There was something grand about swimming in that pool. Something peaceful that doesn’t exist at either of the other city pools. It is one of only a dozen or so of 135 municipal or memorial pools designed by Wesley Bintz built in the United States between 1923 and the early 1960’s that remain standing.


Bintz earned a masters in engineering at the University of Michigan in 1918, serving as the city engineer for his hometown of Lansing following his graduation. In 1923 he left that position, choosing to pursue his dream of building swimming pools full-time. That same year he applied for a patent for his design, which was granted in 1926. He claimed that “A Bintz Pool is 25 to 40 percent cheaper to build than a sunken pool and bath house of equal size, permanence, and details.” His pools were unique in that they were above-ground pools with the changing areas located below them. Bintz pools were more economical to build than sunken ones as they required little excavation and less land since both the bath house and swimming areas occupied the same land space.

At least three of his pools are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Moores Park Swimming Pool in Lansing, Michigan; Fayette WPA Pool and World War I Memorial in Fayette, Missouri and Cuscaden Pool in East Tampa, FL. In each case, the historical significance of their design was recognized, embraced and acted upon. The pool in Lansing received regular maintenance; all three have been restored and upgraded each remaining in active use today.

Like our pool, those in Elmira and Dixon, IL are threatened with demolition by neglect. Yet others, like the one in New Martinsville, WV which closed at the end of the 2010 season, have hope of preservation. Given that East Tampa spent $3.5 million to restore and upgrade their Cuscaden Pool, the likelihood of our Bintz pool’s restoration as a pool is, well, non-existent. Just because the structure can’t serve its original purpose though doesn’t mean it isn’t worthy of saving.

I believe that with some creative thinking an acceptable and affordable re-use for our historic Bintz pool can be found. By teaming up, maybe we can find a way that will allow us to celebrate Prospect Park Pool’s place in history without breaking the bank. Perhaps a team comprised of students in RPI’s architectural program, members of the MIPA and TFPP volunteer groups, historic preservation professionals and city staffers together could find a way to swimmingly save our little piece of American history.



 


A personal story about Troy's historic municipal facility known as Frear Park Golf Course
originally written and published in The Record in 2010  
 

 

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