Camp Dodge Pool District
Construction
The swimming pool complex was designed by the architectural firm of Pearse, Robinson & Sprague. The pool was built by Stark and Knotts, and the single-story stuccoed pavilion was built by Sugarman Construction Company. They were completed for $33,102. It was always intended that the pool would be used by the local community outside of the National Guard's annual encampment. It was thought it was inappropriate for the Guard to operate a public pool so the Play Ground Association of Des Moines agreed in 1923 to operate the pool when the Guard was not using it. The concrete block concession stand was built in the 1930s as a Works Project Administration project. It was designed by William N. Nielsen. The significance of the pool complex is based on its association with the value of recreation for both the military and the local community.
Closure
The Camp Dodge Pool closed normally for the season in fall of 2001, and never reopened. It is not fully known why it never reopened, most likely operating costs were getting too high, or the death of a young teenage boy at the pool a few years prior. For 7 years the pool sat empty and abandoned, until the basin was filled in with dirt and turned into an outdoor amphitheater. Many residents expressed their dismay at the decision, as the city no longer had a public option to swim. As of January 2023, the only non-backyard option for swimming is at a nearby private country club.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System – (#95000098)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Barbara Beving Long. "Camp Dodge Pool District". National Park Service. Retrieved October 10, 2017. with photo(s)