Huntington Beach Elementary School Gymnasium and Plunge - Huntington Beach, CA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member bluesnote
N 33° 40.170 W 118° 00.373
11S E 406717 N 3725966
A historic gym and pool building in Huntington Beach, California.
Waymark Code: WM16BFP
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 06/22/2022
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Outspoken1
Views: 0

Taken from the NRHP nomination form, "The Huntington Beach Elementary School Gymnasium and Plunge, now known as the Huntington Beach City Gym and Pool, is a handsome one and one-and-a-half story high brick and stucco neo-classical recreational facility, trimmed with white terra cotta tile. It is composed of four joined, but distinct elements.

The two larger (approximately one-and-a-half story in volume) are a gymnasium on the southwest and an indoor pool (the plunge) on the northeast. Each has a high arched Lamella (truss) roof. Two flat roofed wings, one, on the northwest behind the gym, and the other on its southeast flank, house other recreational equipment and activities, locker facilities, and maintenance facilities.

Eighteen skylights, invisible outside from the ground level, puncture the flat roofs, allowing natural light inside. Both the west and north elevations have large arched windows which dominate the facades. Sets of smaller louvered windows and arched recessed entrances mark the southeast and northwest elevation.

The front entrance facade (south elevation), originally brick clad with columns on either side, was remodeled in 1967. The original neoclassic portico and columns were removed and replaced by a plain stucco face. This alteration repeated the stepped parapet roof line on the Lamella roofs, and left the imposing brick and terra cotta recessed entry intact.

The rest of the building is brick, with projecting cornices at the roof line of the parapet on the east and west sides. Stepped parapets on the north and south elevations hide the roof line of the gymnasium and plunge. Although the smaller exterior windows were changed from triple hung sash windows to louvers after the historic period, and most have heavy wire screens, the original window openings remain, retaining the overall proportions. Because the only major change was the front entrance, the exterior retains its sense of time and place."
Street address:
1600 Palm Ave. , Huntington Beach


County / Borough / Parish: Orange County

Year listed: 1994

Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event

Periods of significance: 1925-1949

Historic function: Recreation And Culture

Current function: Recreation And Culture

Privately owned?: no

Primary Web Site: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]

Secondary Website 2: [Web Link]

Season start / Season finish: Not listed

Hours of operation: Not listed

National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.