AUSTIN, Texas — The Barton Springs Bathhouse, which sits right next to Barton Springs Pool, is undergoing some major renovations. And along with the physical changes, some people also want its name to change.
"We've known for a while that William Barton is problematic,” Pedro Villalobos said. “He was owner of enslaved people, and he has had a problematic history with the indigenous people of the area."
Villalobos is the chair of the Parks and Recreation Board and created the Barton Springs Bathhouse Working Group to create new name suggestions for the building once it's finished with renovations.
The current bathhouse was created in 1947, and the City plans to make structural repairs to the building that include upgrading the rotunda and changing rooms.
“I thought that it was going to be an appropriate time to look at whether there was a appropriate name that we could name the bathhouse after,” Villalobos said. “In honor of something historic and meaningful that took place at Barton Springs.”
One of the people Villalobos is referring to is Joan Means Khabele, who helped desegregate the pool by being the first Black person to jump in as a protest. Barton Springs Pool wasn't desegregated until 1962.
Another group of people under consideration are the people who occupied the land before.
"There are these interconnected network of springs that the indigenous people believe to be sacred to them,” Villalobos said.
The group is only suggesting names for the bathhouse, but they think there may be an opportunity to change the pool's name in the future.
"Our group intended this to be a conversation starter,” Villalobos said. "We're going to tackle the project of the name of the bathhouse, and we'll cross the Barton Springs bridge when we get there."
The Parks and Recreation Department currently has an application to change the name to Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse. Once an application is submitted, the community has 90 days to submit comments and more name nominations. The 90-day period will end on Jan. 18, 2024. After that, the recommendation would be considered by the city council.
The full list of name suggestions from the Barton Springs Bathhouse Working Group’s report is listed below. The grope recommends the following, in no particular order, as potential names for the bathhouse:
Means Bathhouse - this name reflects the important works of the Means family, including Joan Means Khabele and her mother, Bertha Sadler means, a civil rights activist in Austin.
Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse - this name reflects the instrumental role of Joan Means Khabele in desegregating Barton Springs Pool
Means-Martinez Bathhouse - this name reflects the joint contributions of Joan Means Khabele and David Martinez with desegregating Barton Springs Pool
Yanaguana Springs Bathhouse – a Coahuiltecan word, yanaguana means “spirit waters” and can also be used a term to refer to a spring feature
Tza Wan Pupako Springs Bathhouse – the Coahuiltecan used the term “Tza Wan Pupako” to refer specifically to Barton Springs