Tag: My Family

2025 LAPC #344: Abandoned

Anne is the host for this week’s Lens-Artist Challenge with the theme of Abandoned

Thinking about what I might want to use for this challenge took some thinking on my part. Then it took some searching through my archives to find exactly what I was looking for to use. The first set of photos are shared photos from a private group I belong to on Facebook called I Remember Springs Park, Lancaster, SC. These images show what the Abandoned Springs Park Pool looks like in recent years.

Springs Park Pool
Lancaster, South Carolina

This next group of images are from a time when my family along with my dad’s brother’s and sister’s families and my dad’s aunts and uncles as well as my dad’s parents all met up at Springs Park to enjoy a summer day filled with fun, swimming and picnicking in the park.

Springs Recreation Park
Lancaster, South Carolina
July 1963

Springs Park has been abandoned since its closure in 1989 and the property is in a state of total disrepair. Springs Recreation Park opened in 1924 and operated until 1989. In its heyday, it was a popular amusement park destination for local residents. It offered a variety of recreational activities, including swimming in an Olympic-style swimming pool, skating in an outdoor skating rink, it had its own bowling alley, miniature golf course and amusement park rides for children of all ages to enjoy.

The Olympic-style pool (16 feet deep) was half-surrounded by an ancient Greek-style amphitheater with a triple-decker high dive platform. It has been stated that the amphitheater was made to house 5,000 onlookers. The Springs Park also featured a Carousel, a small Ferris Wheel and a mini train. I remember the Park also had a “kiddie” pool alongside the Olympic-style swimming pool.

I was young at the time we visited the Park and remember playing in the “kiddie” pool with my younger cousins. I didn’t get to visit Springs Park often because we only visited it when we came to the Carolinas to visit my dad’s family. I still remember getting together with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins and having a fabulous fun-filled day playing, swimming, and simply enjoying time with family.

Bonus: My Family at Springs Park …

John Waters, his brother Woodrow Waters, his sisters Vermel Waters Hunter, & Frances Waters Neal
John & Alma Waters, my paternal grandparents
Aunt Vermel (Waters) & her husband, Fred Hunter
Uncle Woodrow & his wife Mary Bost Waters
Aunt France’s Waters Neal & her daughter, Debbie
Aunt Dalline (Waters) & “Shorty” Lebonville
Uncle Eddie Waters & his wife Barbara
Barbara (Farmer) Waters, Dalline (Waters) Lebonville, & Doyce Eileen (Watson) Waters My mom, my dad’s sister, & his sister-in-law
Waters Family Gathering
at Springs Park
Lancaster, South Carolina

My dad took the photos and it appeared our immediate family didn’t get a group photo.

Lens-Artist Photo Challenge-Abandoned

Throwback Thursday

Jez’s Water Water Everywhere

Photo Credit: ©️1963 Nornal H. Waters (my dad) for all but the abandoned photos.

Location: Springs Recreation Park; Lancaster, South Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a blessed Easter and a funtastic Spring Break (if you’re able to have one). Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.