Q – When did the Montavilla Park swimming pool open?

A – The public swimming pool in Montavilla Park formally opened on July 28, 1930, nine years after the park itself. In the park’s early years, other types of recreation took priority. Two baseball diamonds were built in 1921, a playground in 1925, and tennis courts in 1927.

Of course, a pool and accompanying building were more expensive, costing $30,000. They were designed by Portland architect Roscoe Hemenway (1899-1959). At the time, Hemenway was just beginning his architectural career, but later, he became a favorite of Portland’s elite. His original building has been added to and altered over the years, so the current Community Center and gym have a much different look.

From the beginning, the Montavilla pool was extremely popular. Soon after opening, it attracted 2,200 bathers a day. Because of its heavy use, a new 1931 state health law required a filtration system to keep bacteria within safe limits. This improvement cost $10,300.

~ Patricia Sanders ~

---

This is part of a new segment at Montavilla News called Montavilla History Questions Answered. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future post on this page.