The Fayette City Pool has been selected as a recipient of a grant from the 2025 Land and Water Conservation Fund administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of State Parks. Twenty-nine applications requesting more than $8.3 million were submitted statewide. Six projects were forwarded by the Missouri State Parks to the National Park Service for assistance. Fayette’s proposal totals $81,460 and is a 50/50 matching grant, with the federal/state share listed as $40,730. Contributions and in-kind work will make up the other half.

Phase 1 of the project will rehabilitate the historic pool’s bathrooms to bring them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The bathrooms will also be accessible from the south side of the pool, near the splash pad, and will be available for public use.

The Art Deco pool was designed by Wesley Bintz and funded with assistance from the Works Progress Administration. It opened and was dedicated on July 4, 1936. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 1999, and designated a local historic landmark on Dec. 6, 2011. The two-story entrance was constructed as Howard County’s World War I Memorial.

Donors who contributed to the project include: Carolyne Peery ($1,000); Norma Frink ($100); Warren Allen ($100); Dorothy and William Ayres ($200); Martin and Gwen Ratermann ($25); Timothy and Leslie Perry ($500); Addison Biological Lab ($1,000); Sharon Langford ($100); Connie Shay ($100); David and Rebecca Huntsman ($100); Darrell and Karen Ridgwell ($200); Susan Donnelly ($1,000); David Holman ($500); Carol Chafee ($500); Friends of Historic Fayette Memorial Pool ($15,000); Stephen and June Wilder ($200); Jean Riggs ($1,500); Beverly Markland ($300); Kathryn Bricker ($50); Pam and Stuart Huttsell ($600); Ann Schnell ($1,139); Fayette Area Heritage Association ($100); Bee’ Knees Brewing Company ($350); Karen Dunlap ($100); Dr. Jessica Quint ($500); Claudia Powell ($100); Howard County Daughters of American Revolution ($500); PEO Chapter AU ($400); Mark and Mary Jarboe ($500); and the City of Fayette ($10,000).

In-kind contributions include $2,126 from the City of Fayette and $2,644 from Ann Schnell, who wrote and prepared the grant application.