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Preserving history is not necessarily easy or inexpensive.

But often it is the right thing to do.

Take, for instance, the case of the indoor pool at the Natchez Senior Citizens Center on Washington Street.

The pool, operated by the city and used daily by a dedicated group of senior citizens, was shut down in March after concerns were raised about equipment, lack of ventilation, plumbing concerns and structural issues.

In the time since then, a consulting firm has recommended the city start from scratch and consider building a new therapy pool outside or in another location, based on the assumption that newer is better and less expensive.

But simply shutting down that indoor pool would be a shame.

The pool was constructed in 1913, when the building – originally known as Carpenter No. 2 – was built. The building was used as a school and, at the time, it garnered an award from the American School Board for being the finest school built in the country that year. The building was designed by well-known architect Ruben Harrison Hunt of Tennessee and was, at the time, a marvel for Natchez.

The pool served the community well until 1950, when it was closed due to the onset of the polio epidemic.

The pool reopened in 1980, thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers who used it for the then-Natchez swim team. As the building was converted to a senior citizens center, the pool has continued to see near daily use by adults seeking exercise and community.

From adult swim lessons to water aerobics classes, the pool has developed a loyal following who are advocating for its rehabilitation.

And it seems the city is listening to those advocates.

Mayor Dan Gibson this week assured a group of concerned swimmers of just that.

“I am not going to follow this advice to close the pool and build a new one,” Gibson said. “No. We believe that pool is a very important part of our history.”

We agree. And we’re happy to hear the city will continue to invest in preserving this historic public property.