Amarillo Natatorium ("The Nat") - US Route 66--Sixth Street Historic District - Amarillo, TX
N 35° 12.669 W 101° 52.077
14S E 238932 N 3900228
Opened in 1922, the Amarillo Natatorium is best known as "The Nat." Originally a swimming pool, it was later a dance hall and event center, and today, it's an antique mall, at 2705 W 6th Avenue, Amarillo, TX.
Waymark Code: WMQ1F9
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 11/29/2015
Views: 6
A 1996 Texas Historical Marker provides some background:
The Natatorium, an open air building surrounding a swimming pool that measured 36' by 101', opened in July 1922. "The Nat" was enclosed in 1923 for year-round use. In 1926 the building was converted into a dance hall with 10,000 square feet of maple flooring covering the pool area. "The Nat" also provided dining and at its peak employed 40 staff members. Well known bands traveling along Route 66 often stopped here to entertain. Though closed as a public dance hall in the 1960's, "The Nat" served the Amarillo area as a significant social center for decades.
The Handbook of Texas Online elaborates (see link):
The Amarillo Natatorium, a celebrated club and landmark located at 2705 W. 6th Avenue in Amarillo, opened in July 1922. Originally designed by local architect Guy Carlander, the facility was constructed to surround an open-air community swimming pool that measured 36 feet by 101 feet. With the popularity of the pool, the facility was enclosed the following year to provide year-round use.
In 1926 J. D. Tucker purchased the Natatorium, which was commonly called “The Nat.” He covered the swimming pool with 10,000 square feet of maple flooring to create a dance floor and stage for his new dance palace, and the venue became a popular ballroom. A second story was added and possibly housed gambling rooms at some point. Amarillo businessman Harry Badger bought The Nat in the early 1930s and renamed it The Nat Dine and Dance Palace. He built the castle-like façade on the structure and added an entrance to the dance hall area to pull in patrons from Route 66, the major highway for a growing number of motorists. Badger also added a dining area — The Nat Café.
Heralded for its fine dance floor and other upscale amenities, The Nat was a notable venue during the big band era and hosted such luminaries as the orchestras of Benny Goodman, Guy Lombardo, Duke Ellington, the Dorsey Brothers, and Harry James. Reportedly, at its peak, more than forty employees worked at The Nat.
Dr. William Maddox purchased The Nat in the 1940s, and it remained a favored musical club along Route 66, as well as a hangout for servicemen stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base. During the 1950s the establishment evolved with changing musical tastes and offered performances by Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and Roy Orbison. The Nat closed as a public dance hall in the 1960s but was still occasionally used for concerts and community events.
It was listed as part of the U.S. Route 66-Sixth Street Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. A historical marker honoring the Amarillo Natatorium was erected in 1996. The building was renovated for use as an antiques mall but closed again to the public in the early 2000s. The Nat has occasionally hosted concerts for such artists as Joe Ely, the Dixie Chicks, and Cooder Graw and remains a popular tourist attraction along Route 66. Legends of ghost stories and hauntings also surround its storied past, and The Nat has been the site of paranormal investigations. In the 2010s The Nat was a market place for vendors and was operated by Kasey Robinson.
Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): US Route 66--Sixth Street Historic District
Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link]
Address:
2705 W 6th Avenue, Amarillo, TX 79106
How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Plaque on building (Photo in gallery)
Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link]
NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): Not listed
|