About the Kiwanis Swimming Pool
The Kiwanis Swimming Pool is, to the best of our knowledge, the only privately owned, completely free to the public, swimming pool being run in the country. Every week throughout the summer more than 700 children and families enjoy the pool. Some come to beat the heat; some come to swim for exercise and some come for the free Red Cross swimming lessons.
A brief history of the pool
Each summer, St. Johnsbury and the surrounding areas used to lose several children to drowning in the local rivers. Recognizing the problem, The Kiwanis Club of St. Johnsbury decided to build a community swimming pool with lifeguards and swimming lessons for anyone who wished to participate. This would all be available to the general public for free.
The Kiwanis Club, along with many other local individuals and civic organizations built the pool during World War II. We had to get special permission from the government to acquire the steel rebar used to reinforce the concrete walls because steel was being rationed during the war years. It took the club two years to acquire and stockpile materials before construction could begin. The pool officially opened on July 23rd, 1944 and Kiwanis is very proud of the fact that there have been no drownings by kids swimming in any of the local rivers since the pool has opened.
