CINCINNATI — A petition to save the Sunlite Pool at Coney Island has nearly reached its goal of 15,000 signatures.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Change.org petition hoping to turn the pool into a historical landmark had just over 14,000 signatures. The petition was started the same day it was announced that, after more than 125 years of business, Coney Island would be shutting down for good.
The park was acquired by Music & Event Management Inc. (MEMI), a subsidiary of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO). MEMI wants to turn the former amusement park into a "cutting-edge" music venue worth around $118 million.
MEMI declined to provide a comment on the petition.
Since the announcement, people throughout the Greater Cincinnati area have lamented that Coney Island shutting down is a loss for local history and locals' fond memories. The petition, created by Margaret Glaser, indicates the feeling has resonated with thousands of Cincinnatians.
"We must ask the Anderson Township Board of Trustees/local representatives/Ohio Senators/Ohio Governor to make this a historic landmark," the petition says of Sunlite Pool.
The petition references Coney Island and Sunlite Pool's storied history, including how it served as inspiration for many over the years — including Walt Disney himself.
"We should not rid our state and nation of this modern marvel pool that has seen the test of time with it almost reaching its 100th year," reads the petition.
Coney’s history started in 1886 with a dining hall and dancing hall built on an apple orchard. Over the years, different owners added rides, carnival games and a huge picnic grounds. Moonlight Gardens, which featured dancing and live bands, was a popular place for dates. In the 1960s, there were even water skiing shows on Lake Como and an acrobats show above the midway.
A steamboat ferried people to Coney Island from 1886 to 1947. Beginning in 1925, the Island Queen made five trips a day from the Public Landing Downtown to Coney and back. That ended on Labor Day 1947. A week later, the Island Queen blew up.
In 1925, Sunlite Pool opened and has since remained the world's largest recirculating pool.
But the local historical significance of the Sunlite Pool, specifically, goes even deeper than inspiring other parks' future designs.
It was also a battleground for civil rights.
Civil rights pioneer Marian Spencer, who died at the age of 99 in 2019, fought to integrate the Sunlite Pool in the 1950s. Her challenge to Coney Island began after her sons, Donald Jr. and Edward Alexander, heard an advertisement inviting local children to visit.
As she explained many times over the years, she called to ask if all children were welcome. At first, the young woman who answered said yes. After Spencer added, “We are Negroes,” the employee said the invitation didn’t extend to them.
A guard brandishing a gun banned Spencer and her children from the front gate on July 4, 1952.
One lawsuit eventually won African Americans the right to enter the park. It took a second lawsuit to grant them the right to swim there.
Spencer explained her outlook to WCPO in 2015 this way: “You’ve got to have spirit. You’ve got to be unafraid. Because how else can you venture?”
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