The seeming conformity of post-WWII suburbia with its mass-produced homes, elaborate zoning regulations, and inhabitants put into lock-step by the War itself, nurtured in its bosom a deep individualism that manifested itself in many ways: gardening, home improvement, interior decorating, and swimming pool ownership. The last is, in many respects, more significant because, though seasonal in nature, nonetheless has some bearing on the nature of Levittown as the embodiment of the American Dream.
On May 3, 1947, the first of nine Levittown public pools opened at the North Village Green. Notwithstanding recollections of brass pool tags (of which the Museum of the Levittown Historical Society has an extensive collection), bathing cap disputes, swimming lessons with Levittown Swimming Association, and the first bold leap from the "high board", many of us had backyard pools. My parents had one between 1971 and 1973. Backyard pool ownership is as much about the attainment of middle class (and higher) status as it is about summer recreation.
After all, millionaires and movie stars are always photographed sitting by their pools and F. Scott Fitzgerald symbolized the futility of wealth for its own sake by having Jay Gatsby end up dead in his pool. It didn't take long for us to learn that the arduous task of maintaining said pool was something less than Hollywood glamour since, after all, movie stars never personally undertook the maintenance. Down came the backyard pool and off to Levittown Hall we went to pick up our pool tag.
I don't own a pool today and wouldn't even if I had the time to invest in its upkeep. I think that my elementary school daughter has gained far more from visiting the public pool, playing with friends, meeting new people, and swimming with LSA and all the fine work they do than she could have ever experienced in the backyard.
Our pools are one of our most noteworthy assets and in 2003, when I was visiting Levittown, Pennsylvania, I sat down for a talk with the Governor Sweikert who was most interested in the "sister city" on Long Island and wanted to know all about our pools because, sadly, for various complex economic and political reasons, one-by-one the three townships that preside over Levittown, Pennsylvania were never able to maintain and administer the pools and, consequently, closed them down.
Want to know more about the history of Levittown and the surrounding communities? Visit www.levittownhistoricalsociety.org
