Betsy Head Pool – Brooklyn NY

Description

In 1936 the Betsy Head Park in Brooklyn, New York, “was redesigned extensively and the Olympic-sized swimming pool was constructed. Architect John Matthews Hatton’s pool house exemplified the sleek Art Moderne style with liberal use of glass block and a parasol roof. One of eleven pools built by the Works Progress Administration during the summer of 1936, the pool is a relic of the New Deal era.

The construction project, organized by Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, and funded by the federal government, was part of a citywide effort to erect recreational facilities in under-served neighborhoods. The pools represented the forefront of design and technology. They attracted aspiring athletes and neighborhood children. The influence of the pools extended through entire communities, changing the way millions of New Yorkers spent their leisure time. Although damaged by fire soon after it opened, the pool was rebuilt in 1939.”