By the early 1920s, all of the city's bathhouses except for the Ward 1 pool were either unused or demolished. In the 1922 and 1923 Municipal Registers of the City of Holyoke, the Holyoke Board of Parks and Recreation Commission recommended that a new pool be built to replace the Ward 4 bathhouse, which was in poor condition.
The pool site selected was a triangular parcel outlined by Lyman, Pine, and Prospect Streets. The pool, which was twice the size of the former Ward 4 bathhouse, opened in July 1925.
Days were designated for boys and girls, and time was allotted for adults in the evening.
In addition to open swim, swim lessons were given, life-saving techniques were taught, and swim racing and diving competitions were held. A water polo league with other city pools was formed for boys and girls to compete.
In 1928, a heavy brown curtain was hung around the pool fence to discourage onlookers, causing a stir.
In 1933, with the assistance of workers provided by the Soldiers' Relief Department, gravel pathways and grading around the pool area were performed to enhance the appearance.
In December 1955, a fire occurred in the pool house, which was used during the off-season to store park benches and other supplies. The structure's damage was minimal, although firefighters had to break through a portion of the west wall to extinguish the flames.
Close to 14,000 used the pool over the nine-week summer season in 1965.
The pool continued to operate through 1973 and was subsequently demolished as part of the Holyoke Redevelopment Authority's Ward 4 Urban Renewal project.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican and Morning Union; publication dates and pages are shown.
1923 Municipal Register of the City of Holyoke
View of the Ward 4 pool looking westerly from Pine Street (Lyman St. is on the left)
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