A dip into the past: Melwood pool holds memories but no water

Motorists passing an expansive concrete area along Melwood Road in Allegheny Township may ask themselves, “What’s That?”

Once a popular community pool and entertainment destination, Melwood Park Pool is empty, overgrown, dilapidated and faces an uncertain future.

The pool opened in 1926, measures 100 by 300 feet, and was owned by Joseph and Elizabeth Mator.

Lacking a filtration system, the pool featured a large floating dock with diving boards attached.

“A lot of people spent their formative years there,” said local Alle-Kiski Valley historian Ray Rieser, 77, of Lower Burrell.

The park remains in the Mator family, currently owned by Dorothy Mator, now in her 80s.

Mator is looking to downsize and sell the park.

A “for sale” sign is posted on the property, but daughter and Lower Burrell native Kimberly Baker said the listing has expired.

Baker said one of her proudest pool memories was when she could swim the entire length of the pool — 100 yards from the deep end to the shallow — in one breath.

“We had diving competitions, swimming lessons and many birthdays and picnics,” Baker said.

The pool closed in 1995 due to financial difficulties.

“We didn’t have money to make repairs to the filter system,” Baker said.

“Melwood was immensely popular over the years, but was not maintained toward the end,” Rieser said.

Angelique Senko, 43, grew up in Upper Burrell and spent much of her childhood there in the summertime.

“I remember the grit, not like dirt grit, but whatever they used in the paint to make the bottom not slippery,” Senko said. “It had great slides and I remember this huge wooden dock structure built in the center.”

Baker said the family worked hard to maintain the pool and painted the entire pool with 5-gallon buckets of paint, using brooms to push the paint around.

Sand was added to the pool edges to keep them from being slick.

The pool later featured a ballroom, popular for dancing and a roller skating rink.

The rink collapsed in 1993 because of the weight of heavy snow, was rebuilt but later burned down in 1997.