Library and Indoor Pool

Entering the library, you may be able to guess how it was originally used – for decades this room was the men’s lounge where gentlemen would relax and discuss the topics of the day. This room was a compliment to the ladies’ lounge, located in what is now the Crystal Room.

The library was originally called the Reynolds Room, for James Reynolds, a muralist from Pittsburgh. He painted the room’s walls with murals depicting George Washington’s march to Fort Duquesne. They were removed during the renovation and are safe in a private collection.

The library is now called the Duke of Bedford Library in honor of the Duke of Bedford, for whom Bedford is named.

You may have noticed that the windows in this room have names etched into the glass. There was a tradition in the 1800s, known as “the truing of the ring” where early brides scratched their diamonds on glass to be sure they were truly diamonds. The window at the far-right end has Millie C. Swartzwelder engraved on it, September 3, 1888. Please respect the historic glass and do not touch it.

When you follow down the hall you come to the indoor pool.

Built in 1905, it was one of the first indoor pools in the nation. At the time, it was considered Olympic sized, but by today’s standards it is half-Olympic sized. It contains 265,000 gallons of water and takes 3 days to fill.

The pool was 9 feet deep throughout with a diving board. The white “subway style” tiles in pool itself and around the columns are original to the pool. They were restored during the renovation in 2007. At the same time, the pool was made more family friendly by changing the depth to 5 feet at one end and 2 feet deep at the other.

In the opera box at the far end, a musical group would play soothing music while the bathers were in the pool.

When the ceiling was restored, it was painted blue to bring light into the pool and give the water its blue color. As the light and clouds change during the day, the color of the pool changes!

Please continue your tour.