From KCpedia
The Shaffer Swimming Pool
, the college's first aquatic facility, was constructed in
1935. The pool, named after
Charles Shaffer, K1883, cost $35,000 to build. The pool served the college and the surrounding communities until
1981, when the
Ernst Center was built. The Shaffer building was later remodeled to house the
Bolton Dance Studio, as it does today.
Construction
The announcement concerning the construction of Kenyon's New Pool occurred at the college's commencement in 1935. At this date the donor of the funds remained anonymous, but was later revealed to be Charles Shaffer, Class of 1883. The building was later named after Shaffer when his donation was made public. Construction on the building began immediately in June of 1935, and the opening was scheduled for early autumn of the same year. The building was constructed in an area of ancient oak trees 100 yards east of Leonard Hall and was designed by architects Harsh and Davies of Columbus.
Interior of the Shaffer Swimming Pool.
Architecturally the building was a worthy addition to the College, and would serve as a state of the art facility for the school. The building was shaped like a T, housing the entrance, locker rooms and stands in top portion and the pool in longer arm-like section. The pool was of regulation size, 30ft by 75ft, and supported six racing lanes. The pools depth ranged from four feet at the west end closest to the stands, to a maximum of nine feet at the east end. The pool was designed in this manner to assure satisfactory circulation of the water flowing into and out of the pool. The east end of the pool supported three diving boards, two one meter boards, and one three meter board. The pool was surrounded by a walking deck and also included large scum gutters, to aid in reducing turbulence when races were being contested. The most notable architectural aspect of the building was the glass roof which enclosed the facility. 1300 panes of glass were supported by a steel frame of trusses, with the center ridge of building being 28 feet above the water line. The glass enclosure was designed to allow ultra-violet rays into the facility, which was believed to be most beneficial in the winter months. This feature of the facility led to it garnering the nickname of the "Green House." The water for the pool was obtained from the deep wells supporting all of the College's buildings and was filtered and heated using state of the art technology (in 1935).
What It Meant for Kenyon
The construction of the Shaffer Pool was considered to be a means of enriching many aspects of the student life at Kenyon. Prior to the construction of the pool many students, who had participated in aquatic sports in their preparatory education, were left without the means to continue their athletic participation at Kenyon. Although a pool was located in the neighboring Mount Vernon and used by some students, the development of a swimming or water polo team was not feasible.
Floor of the Bolton Dance Studio, built on top of the Shaffer Pool.
However, this modern facility allowed the College to expand its athletic program on both an intercollegiate and intramural level by establishing a swim team in
1936 and opening the facility for recreational use. On
January 11,
1936 the Shaffer pool was dedicated and on
February 19 it held its first swim meet between the Lords of Kenyon and the Big Red of
Denison, with Kenyon winning soundly 69-21. From its establishment, the Shaffer Pool and the teams it housed became an incredibly successful part of Kenyon's
Athletic Program, including a series of conference titles and the men's teams first national championship title in
1980.
1980-Present
As the Shaffer Pool aged and Kenyon's swimming program became increasingly more successful, the facility was deemed to be inadequate. Periodically panes of glass would shatter, and during the winter months the roof frequently leaked over the pool. In 1981, Kenyon's New Athletic Facility, the Ernst Center was opened and Shaffer was no longer used to house the aquatic teams. Eventually, the glass structure was removed and the pool covered and converted into the Bolton Dance Studio, which continues to be used today.
The Shaffer Pool/Bolton Dance Studio is also home to some of Kenyon's famous ghost stories.
Resources in the Kenyon College Archives
