Venetian Pool
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 25° 44.761 W 080° 16.405
17R E 572871 N 2847758
This marker is just outside the gate to the Venetian Pool, a public swimming pool that was created out of an old rock quarry in 1924.
Waymark Code: WMDEXZ
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 01/06/2012
Views: 20
The Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, Florida, was opened in 1924. It was originally the site of a limestone quary used to obtain building material for the houses and public buildings of Coral Gables. The pool is surrounded by Spanish style buildings, a patio and a grotto. Famous people of the past such as Esther Williams and Johnny Weismuller swam here. William Jennings Bryan, the former Democratic presidential candidate delivered speeches. The pool is owned by the city of Coral Gables and is visited by some one hundred thousand people a year. The water is replenished from the subterranean aquifer that flows beneath it. The pool holds some 820,000 gallons of fresh water, making it the largest freshwater pools in America.
The text of the marker reads:
Venetian Pool
This pool was originally a quarry from which limestone was taken for the construction of early Coral Gables homes. In 1924, Denman Fink, artist-architect and uncle of Coral Gables founder George Merrick, transformed it into a unique pool resembling a natural lagoon in a Venetian setting. His design included bridges, towers, a casino and lush landscaping.
In the 1920s, the pool was used to promote Coral Gables and to highlight the city's distinctive architecture. William Jennings Bryan lectured here on the merits of living in Coral Gables. Jan Garber, Paul Whiteman, and their orchestras played for social functions. Annette Kellerman and Jackie Ott, "the aqua tot," were among the famous visiting swimmers. The pool was drained in 1926 for a performance in the basin by the Miami Grand Opera Company.
George Merrick's Coral Gables Corporation sold Venetian Pool to the City of Coral Gables in 1927.
Sponsored by the Coral Gables Junior Woman's Club in Cooperation with
The Historical Association of Southern Florida
Marker Number: None
Date: None
County: Miami-Dade
Marker Type: Plaque
Sponsored or placed by: The Coral Gables Junior Woman's Club in Cooperation with The Historical Association of Southern Florida
Website: [Web Link]
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