Queen City Pool and Pool House
Encyclopedia
The Queen City Pool and Pool House, also known as the Queen City Pool, is a historic bathhouse
and swimming pool
located in Tuscaloosa
, Alabama
, USA. The bathhouse and pool were added to the National Register of Historic Places
on September 9, 1992, due to its architectural and historical significance.
apprentice Don Buel Schuyler, the Queen City Pool served the citizens of Tuscaloosa from 1943 through it closure in 1989. It was constructed as a Civil Works Administration
/Works Project Administration relief project of the Great Depression
. The site features a poured concrete bathhouse, a wading pool and an art deco
fountain. The former swimming pool was filled in with dirt in June 2005.
In May 2005, it was announced that the bathhouse would be converted into a transportation museum. This became possible after the Alabama Department of Transportation
awarded the city a grant to convert the facility into a museum illustrating the history of transportation in Tuscaloosa. The financing for the project comes from a $1.94 million federal award that requires a 20 percent match by the city, or $260,000. The renovation designs for the facility have been completed by the Eclectic Group, Inc. of Huntsville
and Ward Scott Veron Architects of Tuscaloosa.
Public bathing
Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness. The term public may confuse some people, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons. As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing...
and swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
located in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, USA. The bathhouse and pool were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on September 9, 1992, due to its architectural and historical significance.
History
Designed by Frank Lloyd WrightFrank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
apprentice Don Buel Schuyler, the Queen City Pool served the citizens of Tuscaloosa from 1943 through it closure in 1989. It was constructed as a Civil Works Administration
Civil Works Administration
The Civil Works Administration was established by the New Deal during the Great Depression to create manual labor jobs for millions of unemployed. The jobs were merely temporary, for the duration of the hard winter. Harry L. Hopkins was put in charge of the organization. President Franklin D...
/Works Project Administration relief project of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. The site features a poured concrete bathhouse, a wading pool and an art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
fountain. The former swimming pool was filled in with dirt in June 2005.
In May 2005, it was announced that the bathhouse would be converted into a transportation museum. This became possible after the Alabama Department of Transportation
Alabama Department of Transportation
The Alabama Department of Transportation is the government agency responsible for transportation infrastructure in Alabama. The department is divided into nine geographical divisions, with a central office located in Montgomery.-External links:...
awarded the city a grant to convert the facility into a museum illustrating the history of transportation in Tuscaloosa. The financing for the project comes from a $1.94 million federal award that requires a 20 percent match by the city, or $260,000. The renovation designs for the facility have been completed by the Eclectic Group, Inc. of Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
and Ward Scott Veron Architects of Tuscaloosa.