Cascade Plunge
The Cascade Plunge was a large swimming pool surrounded by covered grandstands located at 6815 2nd Avenue South in East Lake. The privately-owned pool opened about 1925. The pool was fed by a natural spring which "cascaded" from a tiered concrete fountain on the southeast end. The 80-foot by 220-foot swimming pool was, at the time, the largest in the area.
The resort had its own stop on the No. 27 Ensley No. 38 South East Lake streetcar line.
The Cloud Room ballroom was located at the back of the pool with a separate entrance. Events ranging from formal dinner dances to call-outs and sock hops were held there. The front entrance was enlarged as a meeting hall for the Elks Lodge No. 79.
In 1934 the swimming season began on May 19. A limited number of season tickets were offered for sale at Parisian for $2.00 each. In the 1940s, Cascade Plunge offered bathers the option of renting "stylish" swim suits. Admission in 1941 was 35 cents for adults and 20 cents for children. In the early 1950s, under the management of owner J. H. Dickson, the park hosted a "Miss Cascade Plunge" beauty contest, with winners going on to compete in the "Miss Dixie Queen of the South" pageant in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The pool remained open through the 1970s. An Arnold Palmer Putting Course was opened in front of the pool building in May 1972. More recently it has been re-engineered as a spring-fed fishing lake and stocked with bream and catfish.
The property is currently listed for sale at $1.95 million. A group of East Lake residents began a petition asking the city of Birmingham to purchase the property for a proposed Druid Hollow Park. Instead the property was purchased by Habitat for Humanity Greater Birmingham and redeveloped as a 40-home community named Cascade Parc.
References
- "Free trip to Daytona— Miss Cascade Plunge beauty contest to begin June 24" (June 1952) The Birmingham News - via Birmingham Rewound
- Archibald, John (June 13, 2006) "Bad day to fish still good for landmark." The Birmingham News
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