Matheson Hammock Park, Coquina Coral Pool – Coral Gables FL

City:
Coral Gables, FL

Site Type:
Parks and Recreation, Swimming Pools

New Deal Agencies:
Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

Started:
1935

Completed:
1942

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

Personal description of the park by project submitter John Walker:
“The entire park including the coquina coral atoll pool, was manmade. My grandfather, Robert “Bob” C. Long was a CCC worker, and worked on the project and helped to build the atoll pool. He and many of the other CCC workers carved their initials and names in the coral they laid around the manmade coral atoll pool deck. It is a natural salt, sea water atoll pool. A hurricane damaged the pool, and in a hasty repair of the pool, many of the stones used that bore the initials of many of the CCC workers were strewn about, and not placed back in their original spot, and are now scattered around the pool, making it difficult to find the initials of many of the CCC workers. I believe they are historically noteworthy and someday I would love to see the atoll pool rehabilitated and an serious effort made to find as many of the original coquina stones bearing the initials of the CCC workers, and have them set in place prominently around the pool deck once again, for the public to see. Of all of the jobs my grandfather did in his life as a young man, and despite the arduous conditions in Miami, dealing with the heat, the humidity, the moccasins, and the mosquitoes, he was most proud of the work he did in the CCC, and his part in building the Matheson Hammock atoll swimming pool!”

Source notes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matheson_Hammock_Park Submitter information

Site originally submitted by John Walker on December 7, 2011.

Location Info


9610 Old Cutler Road
Coral Gables, FL 33156

Coordinates: 25.681670, -80.27183

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One comment on “Matheson Hammock Park, Coquina Coral Pool – Coral Gables FL

  1. Linda G..

    Matheson Hammock was the most magical place of my childhood. The way the pool was cantilevered over Biscayne Bay made me feel like I was able to swim the ocean, at 5 or 6. The sense of freedom was incredible. There was a fallen palm tree that, as a rite of passage, we climbed and then jumped off of. Does anyone remember this or have any photos to share? I am going back to the mid 1950’s. I don’t know how long the tree survived, but it was gone when I returned as an adult.

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Contribute to this Site

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One comment on “Matheson Hammock Park, Coquina Coral Pool – Coral Gables FL

  1. Linda G..

    Matheson Hammock was the most magical place of my childhood. The way the pool was cantilevered over Biscayne Bay made me feel like I was able to swim the ocean, at 5 or 6. The sense of freedom was incredible. There was a fallen palm tree that, as a rite of passage, we climbed and then jumped off of. Does anyone remember this or have any photos to share? I am going back to the mid 1950’s. I don’t know how long the tree survived, but it was gone when I returned as an adult.

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.