Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/19/2015
NRHP Listing Date 05/19/2015
NRHP Reference Number 15000248
Albemarle County’s Blue Ridge Swim Club property was originally developed in 1909 as part of a 200-plus acre Blue Ridge Camp for boys. The 12.1-acre wooded, park-like setting with landscaped pathways features a swimming pool built in 1913 that is 100-yards long and 10-yards wide. At the time of its listing it was among the oldest known commercial concrete outdoor swimming pools in Virginia and the nation. (Only two older concrete pools had been documented in the U.S at the time of listing, both in Colorado. They are Glenwood Hot Springs, built in 1888, and Eldorado Springs, built in 1906.) The Blue Ridge Swim Club has maintained its recreational use from the time of its construction through the present day, making it a rare surviving example from an important period in the development of outdoor recreation in Virginia.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: October 6, 2022
