When one thinks of Detroit, swimming pools aren't necessarily the first things that come to mind. But as this slideshow from the Detroit Free Press illustrates, a few old ones still exist in the Motor City, some functioning, some not; some still classically beautiful and others wearing their age.
The newspaper's staff recently toured local prewar pools and shared its findings. They could be found at local schools, YMCAs, country clubs and even the former headquarters of General Motors. Some still feature elaborate tile work, funded from the seemingly unending revenues generated by Big Industry at the time and filled from Lake Detroit, which is actually a straight between Great Lakes.
While some of the pools have fallen into heartbreaking disrepair - and one was never completed - they still show the importance and longevity of this product through the ages. One pool was never particularly glamorous but now serves a beautiful purpose: In what used to be a YWCA, it now brings the beauty of water to those served by the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries. Read More
