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Custom Pool Pros in New Jersey enjoys not only building and designing custom swimming pools but we truly enjoy the history of our craft. In our previous fascinating articles, “Custom Pools in Ancient History – Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3” we discussed how far back our knowledge of pool building has gone in known human history. But in this article we want to look at more recent times, say the last few hundred years of pool influence, designing and history.
One of the most influential times in recent history that had the most impact on modern pool building occurred in Greece in 1896. This was the first year the world celebrated the modern Olympic Games in Athens. Ironically it took the influence again of the great Greek civilization to bring back one of the favorite pastimes of the ancients. During these games the news went around the world that athletes representing 13 nations had competed in an incredible swimming spectacle.
The winner of the event was Alfred Hoyos Guttman who is quoted describing the event, I won ahead of the others with a big lead, but my greatest struggle was against the towering twelve-foot waves and the terribly cold water.”* Battling these brutal elements Guttman went on to receive the very first Gold Medal in swimming, thus sparking a worldwide interest in swimming as a sport and the mass wave of construction of swimming pools throughout the world. Today we see Olympic sized swimming pools in nearly every public school, university, gyms and community centers. You could say that all these pools have a direct line of influence to the very first modern Olympic Games in Greece!
One might wonder why this particular event drew so much attention and why I would write about it having so much of an influence on pool building but it’s easy to back up when you see just how many pools and where they were built immediately following these games. In the USA huge public swimming pools popped up all over the East Coast. In 1907 The Racquet Club of Philadelphia PA, for instance, built one of the very first aboveground swimming pools.
Aboveground swimming pools are still popular to this day and Custom Pool Pros in New Jerseyspecializes in every type of pool you can imagine! This same year a beautiful ship known as the RMS Adriatic (2nd) was built for the White Star Line, this ship had the distinction of being the very first ship with a swimming pool built onto it. It became the main focus for social activities while it traveled across the Atlantic between Europe and the United States. Now we all know that a cruise ship today wouldn’t be caught dead without a swimming pool! Interesting side note to the White Star Line is that the next class of ships built during this time were actually called “Olympic Class Liners,” one being the infamous Titanic!
At Custom Pool Pros, we are dedicated to turning your backyard dreams into a stunning reality. With over two decades of experience, we have earned our reputation as one of the most trusted and respected custom pool builders in New Jersey.
