Urbanna long a provider of safe swimming sites

(Editor’s note: This is the second and final story in a special two-part series looking back on Urbanna swimming holes through the years.)

The Town of Urbanna has been involved in providing a safe swimming hole for citizens for generations and the town will continue that tradition next summer by opening a $1.1 million pool facility for the upcoming 2024 swimming season.

During the 1930s and into the late 1950s, “Urbanna Beach,” was co-sponsored by the town and private landowners. In 1957, C.D. Dameron, then owner of the Urbanna Lodge and Motel, opened a hotel pool and offered memberships to families in the community.

This, in part, led to the closing of Urbanna Beach and for a little more than a decade public operated and supervised swimming holes in town ceased. Some continued to use the beach facility as private landowners allowed swimming without town support.

During that period of time from 1957 to late summer in 1968 when the town opened a new public pool, there was concern that some town citizens could not afford the membership at the Urbanna Lodge and, for those who could not, meant swimming in unsafe and un-supervised waters.

Going back centuries, there were swimming holes and beaches used by those living in neighborhoods throughout Middlesex County and Urbanna. Drownings were not an unusual summertime occurrence.

Along with lifeguards and other supervision at Urbanna Beach, American Red Cross swimming lessons were offered and when the beach closed there was no public location for providing lessons.

In October 1967, then-Urbanna Town Councilor Ray Rodgers II asked council “if they would consider the possibility of building a swimming pool in the near future.” The town minutes stated that he said, “if so, the town could build a swimming pool with federal aid money, which is available for such a project.” Then-Urbanna Mayor Paul Feitig told Rodgers to “look into such a possibility of receiving federal aid towards a swimming pool.”

At the November 1967 meeting Rodgers reported from what he could find out that the town “might” be eligible for federal aid to build a swimming pool but the process was stalled when Dr. A.L. VanName Jr. cautioned council that the town needed a medical center facility before a swimming pool.

Dr. VanName and councilor Thomas (Tommy) Marshall predicted that if the town was not proactive in securing a medical center, the town would one day see a time when there was no doctor in town. The mayor appointed a committee to look into bringing a medical center to Urbanna.

The council was unsuccessful in getting a medical center to come to town but was successful in building the largest community pool on the Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck in 1968 without any federal dollars.

At the March 4, 1968 meeting, Rodgers continued to push the possibility of the town building a large Urbanna community swimming pool. At that meeting he presented several pool designs and some cost estimates. Council agreed to meet with pool vendors and continue to search for ways to pay for the pool. It was beginning to become apparent federal funds would not be available.

Council then turned to a recent gift of about $286,000 that in 1966 was gifted to the town by Dr. Charles “Duke” Wellington Taber. From 1966 to the early months of 1968, the funds were tied up in a lawsuit between the town and others who were named in the will.

In April 1968, the funds had become available to the town. Rodgers submitted to council the plans and specifications for the town pool and Town Attorney Roger Hopper reported that the town could use the “interest” from the Taber trust to pay for the pool providing “residents are not charged admittance.”

“I feel such a project would be in keeping with a recent court ruling which stated that proceeds must be used only for purposes charitable to the Town of Urbanna,” he said in the town minutes.

Council approved a pool plan designed by Pool Equipment Corporation in Salem, Va., and authorized the project go out for bid and returned by May 1, 1968. The low bid came from Hodges & Stokes contractors from Roanoke. The bid called for $26,670 to build the pool and another $11,195 for the cost of a bath house for a total cost of $37,865. Rodgers made the motion to approve. It was seconded by Dr. VanName and the motion was carried unanimously.

Dr. VanName recommended to council that the mayor appoint a swimming pool committee and said the committee should be used to find ways and means pertaining to setting regulations at the pool.

Mayor Feitig appointed Barbara Robins, Walter Boyd Hurley and Clyde Thrift to serve on the swimming pool committee. At the July town council meeting, Robins reported that the estimated cost and suggested income annually for operating the pool would be $2,900.

The pool committee suggested that town residents be charged $30 a year to use the pool and non-town residents be charged $40. Council did not approve the yearly rates but did agree to 25 cents per visit to enter the swimming pool for residents of the town and 50 cents for non-residents.

The Urbanna Town pool opened in August 1968 for just a few weeks before the season closed. A grand opening/ribbon cutting of the town pool was conducted when the pool officially opened on May 31, 1969.

For the 1969 season, council voted that guests of Urbanna residents would be charged $1 each time to enter the pool until they have paid $35 in entrance fees. Town residents would not be charged.

At the Urbanna Town Council meeting on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, Urbanna Pool Committee Chairman Barbara Hartley announced that new pool construction is on track for completion to open at the start of the 2024 swimming season.