The Hemingway Pool an Unprecedented Architectural Feat

The Hemingway Pool an Unprecedented Architectural Feat. . Hemingway Pool facts: , Completed: 1937 , Width: 24 feet , Length: 64 feet , Shallow Depth: 4 feet 8 inches , Deepest Depth: 8 feet 7 inches , Capacity: 80, 784 gallons , Cost: $20,000, The city refused Pauline's request to use dynamite to excavate the pool, so the work had to be done by hand with picks and sledge hammers. As no fresh running water was available in Key West until 1944, a drill was used to reach the saltwater table, then the salt water was pumped into the pool. The project took a year and a half and ran considerably over budget. Still, it was the talk of the town and the delight of the Hemingway guests: , "... it lights up at night - I find that each underwater bulb is five times the voltage of the one bulb in the lighthouse across the street, so the pool must be visible to Mars - it is wonderful to swim around in a sort of green fire..." -Elizabeth Bishop, US Poet Laureate and friend of Pauline, Captions , (left): This photo was taken from the lighthouse (circa 1932). It is a view of the Hemingway Home prior to the installation of the pool in 1937, a feat whichErnest claimed cost him his last cent. , (center): This was the first and only pool within 100 miles of Key West. Hemingway's famous boxing ring was relocated from the backyard to Petronia Street, just a few blocks away, at the Blue Heaven Bar. , (right): Look for Hemingway's infamous "last penny" embedded in the cement of the pool's patio.