In 1957, a group of Crozet residents met to discuss shared recreational concerns for the community. They recognized there was a serious need for a park and recreation center for community activities. In 1958, a local resident donated 22-acres to the community and by June of that year, Claudius Crozet Park was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to be guided by an all-volunteer board of directors made up of Crozet residents. The Park’s mission: to promote the health and well-being and enhance the general social, physical and cultural welfare of residents of the community of Crozet and the surrounding area of Albemarle County, VA.
The same year the deed to the 22-acres was signed, a one-acre lake was constructed and stocked, land was cleared for the upper ball field, an entrance road was added, and a covered pavilion was built. All of these amenities were built with volunteer and materials and money donated by local businesses and civic organizations. In 1959, a 25-meter 8-lane swimming pool was constructed as the Park’s centerpiece and immediately began serving the recreational demand that had been unmet in the area. The first pool was located in the field across the road and south of the upper playground.
During these first few years of establishing the Park, there were three local organizations that stepped up to help operate the Park: the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department, the Crozet Women’s Club, and the Crozet Lion’s Club.
By the early 1960s the first competitive swim league in the Charlottesville area was established. It was called the Piedmont Swim League and originated with five teams, one of which was a Crozet swim team. The Crozet swim team was called the Crozet Village Club, or sometimes referred to as the Crozet Premiers, and practiced in the Crozet Park pool. In 1966, the Piedmont League was replaced with the Jefferson Swim League (JSL) and the Crozet Village Club continued in the league until 1977.
Over the next twenty years, the pool and Park were enjoyed by thousands of residents in Western Albemarle County. However, by 1979, the Park’s pool, operated by the Crozet Village Club was in desperate need of renovations and the Club, either unable or unwilling to complete those renovations stopped operating, leaving the renovations (and significant debt) to the Park’s all-volunteer Board of Directors.
Lacking sufficient funds to renovate the pool, the Park Board borrowed $53,000 from a local bank with no clear-cut means for repayment. To generate revenue, the Park Board hosted the first Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival in 1980 with the aim of generating a stream of revenue to pay down the debt. This bi-annual festival, now in its 40th year, is still a key source of revenue for Park maintenance and improvements. However, even with the festivals and the pool’s summertime memberships, the Park Board continued to struggle to make ends meet. During this time, there was discussion of allowing the County to buy the land and take over management of the Park. However, local residents and groups pushed back on this idea and continued to manage the Park with volunteers.
In 1985 Albemarle County formally recognized the importance of Claudius Crozet Park as the primary recreational facility serving Crozet and Western Albemarle County. The County entered into a restrictive covenant with CCP Board through the Department of Parks and Recreation. This partnership insured that the Park would always be used for recreational purposes for County citizens. The covenant allowed the Park Board to concentrate its efforts toward reducing past debt and thereby protecting the recreational mission of the Park. The agreement established that the Park was to be used solely for recreational and public purposes and in turn the County would help fund park improvements through the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).
In 1990, the Park Board entered into an alliance with the Peachtree Baseball League to provide use of the Park’s baseball fields in exchange for CIP-funded improvements and additions to the baseball facilities to include a concession stand and restrooms.
In the mid 1990’s the (old) Crozet Pool was deteriorating rapidly and the Park Board had a choice…$200,000 to renovate or $330,000 to put in a new pool.
In 1997, the Park Board was unable to secure all the funding for the new pool, and again, asked for County assistance in completing. The County, in desperate need of athletic fields agreed, and the existing covenant was updated to reflect to reflect this agreement. The County would construct and maintain all ball fields and help with funding for a new pool and in return, the County would have priority scheduling for the Park’s the athletic fields including baseball and soccer fields. The agreement was put in place in 1997 and the construction of the new pool was completed that same year.
In 2006 the Parkside Village neighborhood was established on the Park’s northern most boundary. As part of this development by Weather Hill Homes, LTD., the developer deeded to the Park a .4-acre lot along with a small cottage. In the 70’s, the cottage was used as a radio station with call letters WPED. However, by 1980, WPED changed hands and the building sat unused until it was deeded to the Park. The building, known as the “radio building,” was used for storage by the Park and stakeholder groups for many years until July of 2019 when the Park Board took action to renovate the building for use by the Park and the Crozet community. Renovations were completed in December 2019.
In 2009, in response to community interest to increase aquatic and fitness options, the Park Board put out a community challenge to raise $200,000 to put a dome over the Crozet Pool. This dome enabled the pool to become an all-season pool. Additionally, the Park Board requested an additional $200,000 of CIP funding to renovate the small 8,000 square foot block building and convert it from its current use for meetings and events to a fitness facility complete with fitness equipment, group exercise studio, and locker rooms. In return for County funds, the Park promised to match this amount by building amenities of equal value, e.g., perimeter trail.
By 2012, all funds were raised for the dome and the new facility and a joint venture (JV) agreement was put in place between the Crozet Park and the Piedmont Family YMCA to operate the new aquatic and fitness facility. This partnership was branded as the Park Aquatic and Recreation Center or PARC. In 2015 the JV agreement was dissolved and the Park contracted with the YMCA to operate the facility under a yearly lease contract. By 2013, the Park retained a debt of $270,000: $70,000 connected to the dome project and a $200,000 promissory note with the County. With community donations, lease and festival revenue, the Park was able to pay off all remaining debt and has been debt-free since 2017. The promissory note with the County was fulfilled with the addition of the Park’s .85-mile paved SK8 Crozet perimeter trail completed in May of 2017. The perimeter trail was a critical component of the Park’s “capital improvement roadmap” created in 2014 and based on a community-wide survey.
With planning underway for a new 46,800 square foot aquatics and fitness facility, the Park’s board of directors and the YMCA were unable to negotiate a new contract to manage the current facility. In April 2020, the Park board welcomed a new partner, the Atlantic Coast Athletic Club (ACAC), to operate the current facility.