BALTIMORE: DRUID HILL PARK POOL NO. 2 Built: 1921 Desegregated: 1955 Drained: 1956 Public pools were common in American cities before the 1950s and most were officially “whites only”. When the Supreme Court declared segregated access to public amenities (such as pools) to be unconstitutional, cities circumvented integration by simply removing the amenities for everybody. In short, rather than integrate public pools, many cities decided to demolish them altogether. Subsequently, beginning in the 60s, there was an explosion in the popularity of backyard swimming pools in the suburbs which were, of course, mostly whites-only due to restrictive covenants and exclusionary zoning. In the name of racism and avoiding integration, American cities effectively eliminated a public good and privatised it for only those who could afford it.