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ROTARY RYLAND POOL
Ryland Pool, as it was originally named, was San Jose's first public pool, built between 1926-27 with funds
raised by the Rotary Club of San Jose. This rare oval wading pool has given local children respite from
summer heat and enhanced Ryland Park's beauty for decades. Many young people have learned to swim here.
The Rotary Club engaged prominent architect Charles McKenzie to design the pool. The entire
project cost $9,262, a considerable sum of money at the time. Ryland Pool featured Batchelder #78, "Dutch
Boy" tiles embedded on the pool's exterior walls and is the only public commission os such tiles in San
Jose.The original tiles, damaged beyond repair for decades, have been replaced with exact replicas tiles
crafted from a mold of an original tile. The Dutch Boy tile is the symbol of Ryland Pool.
In 2007-09, the pool was saved from threatened demolition and underwent a major $1.4 million
rehabilitation to preserve it for future generations. The Friends of Ryland Pool, the City of San Jose, and
the Rotary Club of San Jose contributed to he restoration of this historic pool. To
reflect the generous contributions of the Rotary Club both in creating the original pool
and its on-going rehabilitation, the pool is now named the Rotary Ryland Pool.
The Friends of Ryland Pool, an official subcommittee of 13th Street Neighborhood
Advisory Committee, sponsored this plaque and are dedicated to preserving,
maintaining, and enhancing the pool. The Friends of Ryland Pool consists of resident
volunteers from the surrounding neighborhoods: Vendome, Japantown, Hyde
Park, Horace Mann, St. James and Henley Historic District.
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