Former Headmaster Bob Lamborn ’35 recalled that the boys enjoyed swimming in the stream more than anything else. There were swimming holes all the way down the stream—Turtle Soup Bay above the dam from the mill race, the Horse Trough, and Three Stumps, which was the most popular. It was a deep spot in the stream near the bridge with a big tree overhanging the deep spot. The boys nailed boards to the tree so they could climb up and have high-diving contests. The train ran next to Three Stumps, and ladies in the trains could look out the windows and see the boys having a great time in the pool. The only problem was that the boys didn’t wear bathing suits. The ladies complained to the conductor who told management, who then reported it to the school. During the Depression, homeless people who rode the rails often camped at Three Stumps because they could jump off the cars that stopped in the nearby station, clean up, sit in the shade, and cook.
Childs Memorial Swimming Pool, the school’s first formal pool, was located in the meadow by the bridge. The pool was essential to the success of Camp Red Eagle which opened the following summer. In 1954, an indoor swimming pool with the most modern systems (fresh water circulated constantly) was added to Memorial Field House. The 75′ x 36 ‘ pool, dedicated during the 81st Founder’s Day celebration, featured two springboards at the north end and grandstands for spectators on the east side.
In 2006, the Henry A. Rosenberg, Jr. ‘48 Aquatic Center, located in the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Athletic Center, opened. It includes an eight-lane, Olympic-size pool.
