{"nrhp_refnum":"97000511","name":"Columbus Grove Municipal Pool","other_names":["Coloumbus Grove Swimming Pool","Put-56-12"],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"47510 Rd. P","address_restricted":false,"city":"Columbus Grove","county":"Putnam County","state":"OH","lat":40.92756574050003,"lon":-84.02488329182336,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1997-05-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A municipal swimming pool complex built in a former limestone quarry about 1.5 miles northeast of Columbus Grove, Putnam County, Ohio, constructed 1935-1937 with a bathhouse, retaining walls, turrets and a boat launch on a 5.77-acre site.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an outstanding example of a Works Progress Administration recreation project, built entirely by hand from quarry limestone. It is also presented as a fine example of Norman Revival/Rustic design, with its turrets, arches, keystones and meandering walls. It was the first public pool for Putnam County residents, and New Deal projects in smaller communities are less often documented.","narrative":"Built in a abandoned limestone quarry near Columbus Grove, Ohio, this municipal pool and bathhouse were constructed between 1935 and 1937 as Works Progress Administration projects. Workers used only hand labor and roughly chiseled limestone taken from the adjoining quarry. The site includes a main pool and a shallow wading pool separated by an arched limestone bridge, with stone walkways, four octagonal turrets that double as light towers, and small pump houses. The one-story bathhouse grew from a gable-front core into a shallow cruciform with two wings, a concession stand, and a conical-roofed tower that once held a shower water tank. A boat launch ends the stone wall along the quarry. The complex was listed for its association with New Deal recreation programs and for its Norman Revival/Rustic design. Local residents raised money to buy the quarry, and it became the first public pool for Putnam County. A 1986 chlorination building and a 1949-50 shelterhouse are counted as noncontributing.","period_of_significance":"1935-1947","architect_builder":"Theodore Kafitz, Project Engineer","architectural_style":"Late 19th/20th Century Revivals, Other: Norman Revival/Rustic","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition, retaining all essential elements from its original construction; still used as a pool and park, with the bathhouse adapted to changing needs.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:07.466233-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/97000511.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/97000511/da51ac11a9-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/97000511/da51ac11a9-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columbus_Grove_Pool_from_east-southeast.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columbus_Grove_Pool_from_east-southeast.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991082","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138657166"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/putnam-county/columbus-grove-municipal-pool-97000511/"}