
In 1923, Coral Gables’ creators had an issue: an unsightly rock gap in the center of the fast-growing neighborhood. The Venetian Pool — among the first public pools in Southern Florida — came to be in 1924. Founder George Merrick got the theory to show the red coral rock gap — where most of the rock for the community’s entrances was mined — into a lavish Venetian lagoon. Merrick and his chief designer and architect, Phineas Paist, developed a picturesque cooling-off place given by an underground aquifer that includes mooring posts, bridges and a sandy beach. The pool became the centerpiece of in the offing community. Concerts had been held truth be told there. It had been drained so an opera could possibly be carried out on its floor. Cycling movie star Esther Williams and Tarzan actor Johnny Weismuller took to its waters. During hot Southern Florida summers these days, you’ll nevertheless see households taking a dip and examining the waterfalls and grottos.