Ever wondered how our amazing pool came to be? The Van Vlecks subdivision of 1895 shows Block 16, bound by Monroe and Third streets and the now vacated Fourth and Van Buren streets.  This wooded area remained untouched until the men of the Herndon Lion’s Club decided that the children of Herndon needed a safe place to play in the summer!

The Independence Day holiday held extra significance for Herndon in 1956 in preparation for the opening of Herndon Swim Club (HSC) on July 4^th. Construction began May 21^st of ’56 by the Lewis Swimming Pool Construction Company and was anticipated to be completely finished by July 4^th. The Lions Club drove the fundraising effort for the pool and held events such as movie nights and an auction sale. The Detwiler family sold the land that the pool is located on at a low price in support of the future pool; and community members rallied to raise money and sell memberships. The Virginian, a local newspaper that was published in Herndon at the time, even published an article about the upcoming opening. As is HSC’s way however, things were running a bit behind…

The actual opening happened just a few days later on July 8^th, 1956. A local paper reported that the pool opened with “a ‘snip’ and a ‘splash!’” thanks to the mayor William Enderle being on hand to cut a ribbon to officially open the pool. A life guard even gave a demonstration of “fancy diving” to the large crowd attending the ceremony! At the time of the pool grand opening, there were 200 memberships sold with the anticipation of selling about 100 more. This is pretty impressive considering that there were only about 1500 people living in Herndon in 1956.

Nearly 67 years later, we are thrilled to be building on our legacy with plans to continue improving, updating and adding to the pool facilities for the people of Herndon to enjoy for generations to come.  Do you have a story about HSC or photographs that you would be willing to share?  We would love to hear from you!  Please reach out to TheBoard@HerndonSwims.com

The Herndon Swimming Pool opened with a “Snip” and a “Splash!” Sunday. Mayor William Enderie cut a ribbon to officially open the pool and Kent Sasher, life guard, gave a demonstration of fancy diving. A large crowd watched the ceremony.

The pool was scheduled to open on the Fourth of July. Bad weather and delayed shipment of essential equipment stalled the work, however, and it wasn’t until last week that the first swimmer enjoyed the wayer.

In a brief speech Sunday afternoon Mayor  Enderle thanked members of the Detwiler family for their generosity in providing land at low cost for the pool. He expressed gratitude to members of the Lions Club, and to the Herndon Recreation Association Inc. These groups were responsible for work on the pool and for money raised to finance it.

The mayor called attention to the vast amount of work and time involved in clearing land and in other preparations of the pool site.

The project was financed by subscription membership. The pool and a wading pool will eventually be surrounded by picnic grounds and other recreation facilities.

Memberships are still available for using the pool. Over 200 families now belong and it is hoped that about 300 will eventually participate.