By the summer of 1957, swimming pools had become one of the clearest signs of how life in Reading and Berks County was changing. What had once been a small collection of public and borough swimming places had grown into a network of association, borough, and community pools that shaped summer life from Memorial Day to Labor Day. A Reading Eagle feature published Dec. 1, 1957, captured the moment with the headline “Swimming — In the Reading Style,” noting that the area was being served by a growing pool system and that swimming had become a central part of summer recreation.
The numbers were impressive. Nearly 7,000 people were using Reading-area association, public, or borough pools each day during the summer season. More than half of the swimming facilities in the area had opened only recently, during the boom years of 1955, 1956, and 1957. Before that wave of construction, the area had relied mainly on Antietam Valley, West Reading, Wyomissing, South of Penn, and South Temple. By 1957, the list had expanded dramatically with pools such as Ken-Grill, College Manor, Northwest, East Reading, Mohnton, Hillside, Shillington, and Muhlenberg.
What made the 1957 pool scene so important was that these places were not just pools. They were summer social centers. Families bought memberships, children took lessons, teenagers attended dances, and communities organized swim meets, moonlight swims, volleyball, basketball, badminton, picnics, playground activities, and holiday programs. A membership card or borough season ticket became almost a summer passport.
Four young swimmers pose after the College Manor Swimming Pool championships, held September 1–3, 1955. In the mite girls’ 25-meter freestyle event, Kay Dunkelberger, shown at the far left, won first place. Also pictured from left are Susan Sellers, second place; Susan Gordon, third place; and Mary Jo Shemanski, fourth place. The meet recognized winners across multiple swimming events at College Manor Swimming Pool.
The Big Names of the Reading-Area Pool Boom
The largest of the Reading-area pools was Antietam Valley, the old Carsonia Park pool complex, which had become part of the Antietam Valley Community and Recreation Center. It drew between 1,500 and 2,000 people a day and had about 1,600 family members. Its oval pool measured roughly 180 by 206 feet and held about 1.3 million gallons of water, making it the largest in both size and attendance. It served Mount Penn, St. Lawrence, Exeter, and Lower Alsace families and offered more than swimming: teen dances, tournaments, a tot-lot, baseball, and lake activities were all part of the larger recreation program.
West Reading’s borough pool was another major summer destination. Established in 1930, it served about 600 people daily. Its main pool measured 70 by 140 feet, with a 40 by 60-foot oval wading pool beside it. The West Reading pool was also a competitive swimming center. In 1957, the Berks County Senior Dive Championships and swimming championships were held there. The pool had been financed by a 1934 bond issue, and by 1957 it was described as self-supporting.
Wyomissing’s borough pool was even older, dating to 1926. It drew about 200 people a day and used about 200 season tickets during the summer. The pool measured 35 by 105 feet and held about 130,000 gallons of water. It had been given to the borough in 1927 and, by the late 1950s, was financially clear. Its summer calendar included special Fourth of July and Labor Day programs, while other recreation took place at the Stone House playground.
South of Penn was unique. Located at 512 S. 7th St., it was the only public pool in the area that did not issue memberships or season tickets. Admission was free, and most of its patrons were children. The pool had opened in 1923 after a public subscription campaign sponsored by the Reading Times. By 1957, it was operated by the city recreation department, though it remained school district property. It was the smallest pool in the area, measuring 30 by 60 feet, with a 20 by 30-foot wading pool.
The New Suburban Associations
The mid-1950s brought a new kind of pool to Berks County: the suburban association pool. These were built and supported by member families, usually with yearly dues and a stock purchase. They reflected the postwar growth of suburbs, neighborhoods, and family-centered recreation.
Ken-Grill, formerly a private pool, opened as the Ken-Grill Recreation Centre in July 1955. Its rectangular pool measured about 80 by 160 feet and used 500,000 gallons of water. About 200 people used it daily, and roughly 450 families belonged. Plans were already underway to expand the grounds with more lounging space, picnic areas, volleyball, basketball, badminton courts, and possibly another pool.
College Manor opened in June 1955 and served the area around Rockland Avenue and 17th Street. It had about 355 family members and attracted around 350 people daily. Its main pool was wedge-shaped, about 105 feet long, with widths of roughly 35 and 50 feet, and it included a half-circle wading pool. The association was financially clear, and its recreation area had been expanded with volleyball, badminton, and basketball courts.
Northwest pool opened June 30, 1956, bordering the north side of Municipal Stadium. It attracted 300 to 400 people daily and had about 450 family members. The pool was L-shaped, with a wading pool on the grounds, and held about 200,000 gallons of water. It also offered moonlight swims, volleyball leagues, and ping-pong activities.
East Reading’s pool opened near the end of the summer of 1956, making 1957 its first full season. Located on 14½ Street between Cotton and Fairview streets, it drew nearly 700 people a day and had 450 member families. It served as another example of how a pool association could become a neighborhood institution, with plans for teen dances during the winter and a recreation hall for year-round activities.
Mohnton, opened in June 1956, was smaller but still important. It had 187 family members and about 125 daily users. Its wedge-shaped pool held about 140,000 gallons and included a wading pool. The pool offered free swimming instruction on weekday mornings, social programs through the ladies’ auxiliary, Labor Day events, and moonlight swims.
The Class of 1957: Hillside, Shillington, and Muhlenberg
Three major additions joined the Reading-area swimming scene in 1957.
Hillside opened June 15, 1957, making it the newest pool in the Eagle survey. Operated by the Hillside Swimming Association, it had 416 family members and drew about 400 people daily. Its rectangular pool measured 50 by 110 feet, with a 15 by 30-foot wading pool at 14th and Buttonwood streets. It offered swimming teams and an intramural volleyball league.
Shillington completed its first season in 1957 and quickly became one of the busiest borough complexes. Daily attendance averaged 600 to 700 people, and about 1,000 season tickets were sold. Shillington’s setup was unusual because it had three pools on a 4.5-acre site: a racing pool measuring 82.6 by 45 feet, a larger kidney-shaped main pool, and a 10 by 20-foot wading pool. It also provided free swimming lessons to about 700 children and used the borough recreation center for dances and intramural sports.
Muhlenberg represented another transformation. The Muhlenberg Swimming Association took over operation of the former South Temple pool in 1957. With 807 family members and daily attendance between 800 and 1,000 people, it immediately became one of the area’s major swimming centers. The association planned additional recreational improvements, including a picnic area and volleyball, tennis, and badminton courts.
Two More Pools Coming in 1958
The 1957 pool boom was not finished. The Reading Eagle reported that two more association pools were expected to open the following summer: Lincoln Park and Mil-Oak.
Lincoln Park’s pool was already one-third finished and expected to open May 30, 1958. It was planned as a $75,000, slightly altered L-shaped pool holding 225,000 gallons of water, with a 20 by 40-foot wading pool. The Lincoln Park Swimming Association hoped for 350 family members.
Mil-Oak was planned for the Millmont and Oakbrook neighborhoods, with construction expected after Jan. 1, 1958. Its proposed 50 by 110-foot pool was also estimated at $75,000. The association expected about 400 family memberships, with dues and stock purchases helping to finance the project.
Beyond Reading: County Pools in Focus
The Dec. 1, 1957 coverage also looked beyond the immediate Reading suburbs. A companion article, “Two New Pools Planned in ’58,” listed five county swimming pool projects or operations: Kutztown, Boyertown, Topton, Bernville, and Gouglersville.
Kutztown had one of the county’s oldest and largest pools. In operation since 1932, it was owned by the borough and run by the Kutztown Fire Company. The pool measured 125 by 250 feet and held 1.8 million gallons of water. About 200 people used it daily, and its operation was tied directly to the fire company’s yearly budget.
Topton’s Veterans’ Memorial Committee pool had opened July 4, 1957. It featured a 50 by 150-foot rectangular main pool with a small half-circle wading pool beside it. About 700 people used the pool daily, and the membership stood at about 400 season-ticket holders. The pool was already more than a swimming basin, with dances, block parties, and plans to expand the surrounding recreation area.
Boyertown’s borough had taken over the former American Legion pool during the 1957 season. The pool itself dated to the mid-1920s, but it did not open until July 15 that year because of the change in operation and installation of a diatomaceous-earth filter. The site included a 50 by 90-foot rectangular pool and a circular wading pool, and the borough was already studying future pool sites for a larger recreational area.
Bernville and Gouglersville were still in the planning stage. Bernville’s Western Berks Swimming Association had been incorporated in November 1957 and hoped to build an L-shaped Olympic-sized pool for the following summer. Gouglersville had formed an association but had not yet incorporated or selected a location.
A Snapshot of a Changing Berks County
The swimming pools of 1957 tell a larger story than summer heat and cool water. They show Berks County in the middle of a postwar recreation boom. Boroughs, associations, veterans’ groups, fire companies, and neighborhood boards were building places where families could spend an entire season. These pools were expensive, often financed through bonds, mortgages, stock purchases, memberships, and local volunteer leadership. But they also became symbols of community pride.
By the end of 1957, Berks County’s pool culture had become a patchwork of public access, borough ownership, and private association membership. Some pools were modest and free, like South of Penn. Others were large suburban complexes, like Antietam Valley, Shillington, and Muhlenberg. Some were brand new. Others dated back decades. Together they formed the summer geography of mid-century Berks County — a world of bathhouses, snack bars, wading pools, lifeguard chairs, membership cards, swim meets, and evening dances under the lights.
In 1957, swimming was no longer just something to do on a hot day. In Reading and across Berks County, it had become a way to organize the whole summer.
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