By Steven Witkin ’16

Being over 100 years old, this school faces a common dilemma with each construction project and renovation. How can the building be upgraded without destroying its historic aspects? Compromises have been made in the past, but when this summer’s project of covering the roof with solar panels threatened the existence of the third-floor pool, the teachers made one thing very clear: save the pool.

With rumors floating around, the truth about the Sherwood pool is a bit murky. However, the discovery of long-submerged MCPS records filtered out the fact from the fiction. The pool was installed above what is now the dance studio in the summer of 1959 with leftover funds from building the fallout shelter under the F hall. As it is strictly off limits to students, even members of the swim team, only teachers have gotten a glimpse at the pool.

“It is round, fairly small, and concrete,” said social studies teacher Nicole Glover, adding, “It’s really an integral part of Sherwood’s culture. The last time I saw it was when . . . let’s just say that the teachers here like to use it for certain—traditions.”

It is obvious that the pool has sentimental value, but is it enough to justify preserving it? Apparently so, because the project of finding it a new home was one of the most complex ever carried out on a school building. Engineering teacher Tom Sparacino participated in the undertaking. “After several rejected proposals, it was decided that the pool would be placed under the gymnasium,” he explained. “How it got there in just one summer is a true marvel of engineering.” The former pool area had to be demolished and flattened to make space for the solar panels. The pool then had to be lowered by crane into a specially designed cavity under the gym. Although the gym floor and pads were just redone a few years ago, they were redone again to incorporate access points to the pool’s new location.

As the waters of time flow on, it is important that history is preserved. For now, Sherwood’s aquatic tradition will live on underneath the gym, just a few feet deep.