A.D. Clark Pool
| A.D. Clark Pool | |
|---|---|
 A.D. Clark Pool at Hargraves Community Center | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | 216 North Roberson Street, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°54′49″N 79°03′25″W / 35.9136°N 79.0569°W |
| Groundbreaking | 1960 |
| Opened | June 1961 |
| Owner | Town of Chapel Hill |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | White Bynum (local mason), Northside community volunteers |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The A.D. Clark Pool is a historic public swimming facility located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Opened in 1961 at the Hargraves Community Center (formerly the Roberson Street Center), the pool was established to provide a safe and accessible swimming space for the town’s Black community during the era of segregation.[1][2] Named after Adolphus D. Clark, a local civil rights leader and the first president of the Chapel Hill NAACP, the pool was funded through significant local fundraising efforts and a $40,000 donation from Cornelia Love, a Chapel Hill resident who supported Clark’s vision for a community pool.[3][2]
Today, the A.D. Clark Pool is operated by the Town of Chapel Hill and continues to serve as a vital community resource, offering seasonal public swim times, lessons, and local events.[4]
Background
[edit]Before the 1960s, Chapel Hill’s two public swimming pools were operated by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and both were functionally segregated, barring African American residents from accessing the pool. As a result, members of the Northside community often swam in local creeks and swimming holes, which were frequently polluted.[5] Unsafe conditions led to fatalities from Typhoid infections, and one reported death from a Copperhead snake bite.[5] Some individuals traveled to Raleigh to swim at Pullen Park, one of the few accessible alternatives in the area.[6]
Efforts by the Northside community to negotiate access to the University of North Carolina’s swimming facilities were ultimately unsuccessful.[7] Previous attempts to establish recreation centers in Chapel Hill had also failed due to issues with securing funding from the town.[8] In 1960, the town began to invest in neighborhood recreation infrastructure and maintenance.[8] Adolphus Clark, a prominent member of Northside and president of the Chapel Hill–Carrboro Swimming Pool Association, led a proposal to construct a swimming pool at the Hargraves Community Center.[9] The project was intended to be funded through private donations and supported by community chest funds, with ongoing maintenance provided by the town of Chapel Hill.[10]
Construction and opening
[edit]Following Adolphus Clark's proposal in 1959, the community received an anonymous donation of $40,000 from Cornelia Love to fund the pool. When interviewed, Love spoke down on the African American population, but revealed that Adolphus Clark (A.D. Clark), whom she thought highly of, had spurred her donation. Clark, a janitor at the Wilson Library at UNC where Love worked, would do side jobs for her, watching her house while she traveled or stepping in as her driver.[11]
Construction officially started early in 1960,[12] spearheaded by a local Northside mason, White Bynum, who laid much of the concrete himself. With help from A.D. Clark and other residents, the Northside community built the pool on weekends and afternoons, only bringing in outside contractors for the specialty system.[13] The pool officially opened its doors to locals in June of 1961 and was named after A.D. Clark in recognition of his role in the pool, as well as his larger advocacy for the Northside community. Becoming the first public pool in Chapel Hill that served African Americans, the A.D. Clark Pool provided not only recreation but also jobs for local teenagers as lifeguards.[6][14]
Development and Current News
[edit]In 1987, a black child drowned at the pool due to the negligence of white lifeguards. This incident called for better policies for safety.[1] For example, the town manager arranged for the hiring of a minority pool manager and increased the number of staff on duty. Later on, the pool offered swimming lessons for black community members.[15] The pool often holds Memorial Day and community events when it opens for the summer.[16] Today, the 4-lane, 25-yard pool implemented further safety regulations, including that a lifeguard can require a swim test for any individual in deep water, and that only groups of 8 people are allowed at a time in the pool.[4] These steps demonstrate the progress made towards pool safety and inclusion.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "A.D. Clark Pool". From the Rock Wall. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ a b "A History of Hargraves Center". UNC Digital Collections. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Celebrate 75 years with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP". Chapel Hill Magazine. 5 October 2022. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ a b "Aquatic facilities: A.D. Clark Pool". Town of Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ a b Marian Cheek Jackson Center (April 19, 2025). ""Ronnie Bynum - On the construction of AD Clark Pool (clip),"". From the Rock Wall.
- ^ a b Marian Cheek Jackson Center (April 19, 2025). ""Nate Davis - On the A.D. Clark Pool (clip),"". From the Rock Wall.
- ^ Southern Oral History Program (April 19, 2025). ""Edwin Caldwell, Jr. - On swimming (clip),"". From the Rock Wall.
- ^ a b "Joint fund appeal in community for pool, center to be considered". The News of Orange County (Hillsborough, N.C.). 18 February 1960. p. 4.
- ^ "Town should answer question on pool". The News of Orange County. (Hillsboro, N.C.). 21 July 1960. p. 13.
- ^ "Anonymous donor offers money for negro pool". The News of Orange County. (Hillsboro, N.C.). 14 July 1960. p. 2.
- ^ Love, Cornelia Spencer. "Oral History Interview with Cornelia Spencer Love, January 26, 1975. Interview G-0032. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007): Electronic Edition. A Chapel Hill Daughter Returns". docsouth.unc.edu. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Hargraves Community Center / Hargraves Center / Roberson Street Center / Negro Community Center". openorangenc.org. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Willis Farrington - On Mr. White Bynum building A.D. Clark Pool (clip) | From the Rock Wall". fromtherockwall.org. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "The Daily Tar Heel". Digital NC (1989/03/20): 9. 2025-04-27. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ Wells, Melanie (May 26, 1983). "Memorial Day Weekend Events". Daily Tar Heel.
- ^ Johnson, Kelly (October 14, 1987). "Town Council Oks proposal to improve historic cemetery". Daily Tar Heel.