Construction of the Worthington Pool, Summer 1954

This black and white image depicts the construction of the Worthington Pool during the summer of 1954. In the foreground workers stand near building material in front of the shell of the bath house. The view overlooks the foundations of the pool, earthmoving equipment and, in the distance, the trees that lined the Olentangy River. The football field and Dublin-Granville Road are down the hill, not visible from the construction site.

The completed pool opened August 15, 1954. It was managed by the non-profit Swiminc organization and open to residents of the Worthington School District. The single pool was 120 feet long and 50 feet wide, except for the diving bay area where it was 82 feet wide. The pool held 300,000 gallons of water, which was re-filtered every eight hours on site. It could accommodate up to 500 swimmers.

The photographer, Albin Vinyard Shirk, commonly known as A.V., grew up in Colonial Hills and graduated from Worthington High School in 1956.