It may not be the oldest pool in Austin, but Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest Pool has been around a while.
The pool turns 70 this year and the city is throwing a party on Saturday to celebrate. Entry fees will be waived for the party, which starts at noon and includes snacks, drinks, old photos, memorabilia, and a look at the pool’s recent renovation. The pool is located at 7000 Ardath St., just west of Burnet Road in North Austin.
Before it was a pool, the parkland where the water is now was the quarry that supplied the limestone for the state’s capitol building. The city purchased the parkland in 1955 and completed it, along with a bathhouse, the following year. The modern circular bathhouse is the first of its kind in Austin.
“(The bathhouse) is a rare surviving example of mid-century civic design, and its preservation has been a priority through every renovation the site has undergone since,” the city said.
The pool opened on July 28, 1956 for its first swim meet and was formally dedicated on Aug. 9, 1956. In its first month, more than 31,000 people visited the pool, outpacing Barton Springs Pool at the time. It’s important to note that Austin’s public pools were not desegregated until the early 1960s.
Austin was allowed to qualify for national swim meets when the pool opened because of its 50-meter, Olympic size.
“Almost overnight, Austin had put itself on the competitive swimming map,” the city said.
The pool was renamed in 2001 in honor of Beverly S. Sheffield, a former parks and recreation director who played a key role in developing the city’s parks, pools, and greenbelts. Sheffield’s daughter Sally and son Steve will be at the 70th birthday celebration.
The pool underwent a major renovation in the spring and now includes a refreshed lap pool, a zero-entry toddler pool, two shade structures, new benches, renovated bathhouses and family restrooms, and upgraded fencing, lighting, landscaping.
The pool is open every day except Thursdays through Aug. 16 and then is open daily through Sept. 7.
