There are many interesting places in the residence of American presidents, the White House – after all, this is a place with a long history. And not all of them are related to politics, because the heads of state are also people who need rest and leisure. One of the places was the Roosevelt Pool, which allowed top U.S. officials to relax without leaving the residence. And although the presidential pool itself is no longer there, its history is undoubtedly of interest.
1. About the reason for the appearance of the pool in the White House
Roosevelt swam a lot because of his illness – so they built a pool for him. /Photo: lenta.ru
The opening of the swimming pool on the site of the former laundry room at the residence of American presidents took place 101 years ago, especially for Franklin D. Roosevelt. Moreover, its creation was not connected with the opportunity to diversify the leisure of the first person – the goals were purely practical. It is known that Roosevelt suffered from a serious illness, polio, which most affected his legs. Just for prevention and a kind of physical therapy, on the recommendation of doctors, a swimming pool was built right at the place of work of the president, which later began to bear his name.
2. About the construction of the Roosevelt Pool
The money for the construction of the pool was found thanks to the newspaper. /Photo: nydailynews.com
Interestingly, the appearance of a swimming pool in the White House did not affect the American budget in any way, but all because an entire charity company was deployed by the New York Daily News to find funding for the project. They opened a fundraiser among New Yorkers to help polio-stricken President Franklin Roosevelt, who was also a New Yorker – it was from the money raised that the construction of the pool was sponsored.
3. About the equipment of the Roosevelt pool
An archive image of the pool in the White House. /Photo: stranatur.ru
Since in the case of this pool it was about creating not just a place of leisure, but actually a water dispensary for a seriously ill person, it was equipped with the latest technology that was available at that time. For example, sterilizers and a number of the latest devices at that time were installed in the room, making it possible to prevent complications of Roosevelt’s polio as comfortable and effective as possible. In addition, for the convenience of the president, an underwater lighting system was placed in the pool.
4. About the use of the pool by other US presidents
John F. Kennedy was one of the most active swimmers in the Roosevelt pool. /Photo: stranatur.ru
After Roosevelt, the pool was not closed, but became a place of recreation for several subsequent presidents. For example, Harry Truman liked to dive and swim in it with glasses, John F. Kennedy conducted a kind of training there, sometimes twice a day. But Lyndon Johnson preferred to swim in the pool not alone, inviting his friends there – bathing suits of all sizes were always prepared for them on the walls of the pool.
5. About the closure of the Roosevelt pool
When the pool was closed, it was turned into a press briefing room. /Photo: stranatur.ru
For several decades, the pool was used for its intended purpose, until Richard Nixon came to the post of American president. Swimming in the White House, apparently, did not appeal to him very much, but he was worried about the problem of placing journalists at briefings, the number of which was growing day by day. Therefore, he ordered the pool to be drained, covered with a floor and roof, and as a result, the premises for the press offices to be converted.
6. About the current state of the former swimming pool
Now part of the Roosevelt Basin is occupied by servers for the president’s press office. /Photo: stranatur.ru
Today, the room where the Roosevelt pool was located still exists, having once again changed its purpose – now it is used as a server room for the president’s press office. However, its history as a swimming pool for top officials of the state turned out to be so interesting that the room turned into a popular tourist attraction. Therefore, visitors to the White House on excursions are really invited to go down to the former swimming pool and tell how presidents swam there many years ago. And those who got there say that even half a century after the closure of the Roosevelt pool, the room still smells strongly of bleach.
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