In 1925, Springs Recreation Park was a thriving hub for residents of Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding areas. The textile industry was booming during this time, with several operational facilities nearby that provided employees with financial security. Recreation Park seems too modest a term to describe Springs Park. By all accounts, it was more like a rare amusement park for its time, complete with a skating rink, carousel, small Ferris wheel, mini-train, putt-putt, and bowling alley, all alongside its crown jewel: an Olympic-style swimming pool (16 feet deep), half-surrounded by an ancient Greek-style amphitheater with a triple-decker high dive platform, which was purportedly designed to house 5,000 onlookers. Some have reported that the site expanded in 1948 to add a pavilion.
Carowinds officially opened in 1973, following several construction setbacks. Some believe that the opening of Carowinds with Ocean Island in 1982 contributed to the closing of Springs Park.
The park closed in the summer of 1989 for unknown reasons. One online report said the pool remained open until 1990. Though the old park is past its heyday, Springs Park is still a sight to behold. The diving platform sits crumpled in the pool’s deep end, but the massive, concrete viewing stadium is still standing and likely will stay that way for the foreseeable future. A rusted foundation of the park’s skating rink juts out from the ground, with portions of the old mini golf course buried just below ground.
Gradually, the site has been reclaimed by nature since its closing. All that remains are remnants of past happy times, covered by brush, as if it never happened.
Do you remember Springs Park?
(Disclaimer) Some places on The Lantern are private property- you will need approval to visit.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Image Credit: Shenandoahsc.blogspot