- Fleishhacker Pool
caption =
name = Fleishhacker Pool
location_town =San Francisco, California
location_country = flagicon|USAUnited States
architect =
client =
engineer =
construction_start_date= 1924
completion_date = 1925
date_demolished = 2000
cost =
structural_system=
style =Fleishhacker Pool, the largest swimming pool in the
United States , was located in the far southwest corner of the city ofSan Francisco, California next to the zoo for 47 years. Its major claim-to-fame was that it was said that it could be seen from space.Construction
It was built by
philanthropist andcivic leaderHerbert Fleishhacker in 1924, and openedApril 23 ,1925 . The pool measured 300 m (1,000 ft) by 45 m (150 ft), held 23 million litres (6 million gallons) ofseawater , and accommodated 10,000 bathers. The pool was so large the lifeguards required kayaks for patrol, and was used by the military for drills and exercises. The unheated waters of the pool were provided by a series of pumps and piping athigh tide , directly from thePacific Ocean , 200 metres away. There was also a diving pool measuring 15 m (50 ft) square and 5 m (16 ft) deep and a two tiered diving tower.Decline
After years of deterioration and absence of modern operational systems, the pool did not meet
health and safety standards and closed in 1971. Consideration was given to refurbishing and reopening the historiclandmark , but usage studies showed low interest, and the high annual operating costs could not be offset with the expected revenue.Loss of a landmark
In 1999, the San Francisco
Zoological Society was granted ownership of the pool house, and it is not known what might become of it. The swimming pool itself was filled with rocks and gravel, with the space now serving as a parking lot for the zoo. [ cite web
url =http://www.sfzoo.org/openrosters/ViewOrgPageLink.asp?LinkKey=14106&orgkey=1900#fleishhackerpool
title = San Francisco Zoological Society - About the Zoo - Historic Sites
publisher = The San Francisco Zoo
accessdate = 2008-03-10 ]References
External links
* [http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/S?pp/hh:@field(TITLE+@od1(Fleischhacker+Pool+++Bath+House,+Sloat+Boulevard+++Great+Highway,+San+Francisco,+San+Francisco+County,+CA)) List of 26 photos of Fleishhacker Pool at Library of Congress]
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