Brief History of the Pool

1945: Ralph Hamilton develops the idea to create a pool in Charlevoix

1995: Friends of Charlevoix Pool raise $800,000 through private donations, making our Pool one of only six in the nation to be built entirely with donations.

1995: The original pool office was created in Bruce and Barbara MacArthur’s kitchen.

1995: Local architect, H. Jack Begrow, AIA, designed the pool, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held.

1997: The Pool opened its doors with Ralph Hamilton proudly cutting the ribbon.

2004: Recreational Authority Millage for the City of Charlevoix, Hayes Township, and Charlevoix Township was passed. Funds help manage reasonable user fees and are an important part of the operating budget.

2014: Millage was renewed for ten years.

​2019: Ribbon cutting for Pool Renewal. The pool building was expanded and updated with new men's and women's locker rooms, two private bathrooms, community rooms, and new offices. This $1.8 million project was paid for by donations and grants.

​2021: Repaved (not resurfaced) the parking lot and driveway. Funded 100% by grants and donations. $230,000 project. 

​2022: Resurfaced the pool, which entailed chipping deep into the cement, removing the debris, and resurfacing the pool bottom and sides. This major capital project of about $78,000 was paid for entirely by donations and grants; tax dollars were not used on this project.

​2023: Celebrated the CACP's 25th Anniversary with the Aqua Silver Fundraising Event in June at the Charlevoix Yacht Club Event Hall and a community BBQ at the Pool in August. 

​2024: Replaced chemical controllers in the mechanical room and replaced most computers. Grants and donations paid for the majority of the costs. Also restarted the Swim Team under the direction of an experienced coach, Megan Smithburg. Hosted the AquaRitaVille fundraiser in June at the Historic Train Depot in Charlevoix. 

The Original Charlevoix the Beautiful Pool

An indoor heated 30x100-foot, 105,000-gallon swimming pool, housed in a 63.5x154-foot building called a “natatorium,” was part of The Inn, a hotel above the depot. It opened in 1898 along with the hotel and aged over the years because of constant humidity. The pool was sold by the Pere Marquette Railroad, which owned the hotel, to the Chicago Club resort, date unknown, and was torn down, we believe, in 1926. It was also open to the public for a nominal fee, much appreciated by the locals. The interior was finished in Norwegian pine, and there were sixty dressing rooms along the upper gallery, potted palms, electric lights, trapeze, and gymnastics rings over the water—quite the place.

Photos and information provided courtesy of the Charlevoix Historical Society.