Dilapidated Westwood Country Club, Speedway Indiana – Photo by Ryan Hamlett
Nestled between 10th and 21st Streets on High School Road on the western edge of Speedway, what was once the Westwood Country Club sits neglected and disused. Its olympic sized pool is cracked and unfilled, its diving platforms boardless, its two story clubhouse grafitti clad. Originally constructed in 1956 as the Speedway Recreational Center, it thrived though the 70s, the heyday of the family oriented social club, struggled through the 90s before finally draining the pool and shuttering the doors around 2002.
Today, what remains of the Club is for sale, all 21 acres of property, though there is a small but determined effort to restore the pool and clubhouse to something of its original self by the Save & Revive Westwood group on Facebook. It’d be fantastic to see the pool once again full of slightly chlorinated water for some mischievous soul to reenact the infamous Baby Ruth scene from Caddyshack once again.
Classic shot of Westwood Country Club – from “Indianapolis Social Clubs” by Jim Hillman
The Miramar “Club” on the East Side and LongAcre Park on the South Side remind me of this club’s demise…no doubt there are more around Indy I’ve never heard of, too…
great story!
Ryan — who is the listing agent and what price is being asked?
Norm,
According to the Facebook page, the property is for sale at a price of $27,795.00 per acre…at 21.046 acres, the total price would be around $584,973.57. I’m not sure of the listing agent, but you might be able to ask the person who moderates the Facebook page. 🙂
there is no way that building is worth that much. I live right next to it and that property is in so much dissrepair it would take almost that ammount to put it back into working order its worth maybe on a good day $175,000
If the structures (pool and clubhouse) are still viable, and the land (21 acres) still has areas available for additional development, some enterprising entity ought to be able to make a go of it. I noticed from an aerial view map of the property that its north boundary is an abandoned railroad bed, and its east boundary is Big Eagle Creek: http://binged.it/17oWcfh. Maybe these features could also be developed (like a hiking/biking trail or a canoe launch), which would enhance the club’s appeal.
Yes…this would be a welcome addition of greenspace that Indianapolis sorely needs…plus, that abandoned railroad track may be on the Indy Greenways Plan as targeted for future greenway use…if so, this would be a good “fit'”as well…that may be the former B&O line…if so, it is a part of the Greenways Plan.
Notice the grass lot next to the building on the right? This picture must have been right after it opened because not too long after there were tiered concrete pads that people used to lounge and get some sun.
I really hate seeing this. I learned how to swim at Westwood, and the majority of my teen summer days were spent next to that pool. My sister and I even took ballet lessons in the clubhouse.
Thanks for the great memories. Spent much of my youth in the 50’s and 60’s at the club. Still try to go by and check it out when I am in Indy.
Oh wow the memories! I used to love going there in the 70’s. We lived in Brownsburg and would trek there almost every summer day. I remember the snack shop and the metal tags that were sewn on to our swim suits! I miss that place! The water was always frigid!
Grew up at WCC. Swim team coached by Ray Lawrence, and Kenneth King. Sister, Stephanie Elkins made the 1980 Olympic team. When not swimming I could be found crossing the railroad tressel behind the snack bar. Thanks for the memories. The last time I drove by I had to take a small piece of concrete from the building as a souvenir. It won’t be long until the building collapses. I crawled through a hole in the fence a year ago and found entrance into the building. I remember every corner and room like it were my home. I had hoped to get our swimming pictures from the wall before they closed the facility, but they were removed, and their whereabouts unknown.
I have lived in New England since 1978 but I lived in Indy for 32 years. First in the old south side then on the north side in the broad ripple area. On a trip back “home” a few years ago, my sister and I visited what was left of the house we grew up in on the old south side, all decimated for I-70. In what was the yard of that house I picked up one of the old bricks that was part of the house’s foundation once and brought it back to New England with me. I later incorporated it into a red brick walkway in the house I live in now. Which incidentally was built in the late 1700’s…!
I took swim lessons there (to no avail) when I was five or six. Tennis lessons later (I did better at this, eventually), from my brother who was on the staff. Spent countless hours at the pool. The smell and heat of the snack bar comes to mind, along with the unintelligible public address system! So glad I experienced the good old days there, when it was so busy that our Moms had to use the overflow parking (a grass clearing) to the north. Otherwise I would bike, or walk from and to my neighborhood across that wonderful trestle. Thanks, Westwood, for the memories.
Plus I’ll never forget coming across Mike Etienne and Jenny Wilson going at it under the trestle. Priceless!
I lived crossed the street from westwood .so sorry hear it has went so down hill.wish someone would bring it back to life it was great in its time