Not counting the ancient pools of a few select kings and rulers in Babylon and Rome, the history of residential swimming pools pretty much began in Southern California. Newsreels and magazine photos of movie stars with their backyard swimming pools really did spark a trend, which became more popular during the post-World War II housing boom. By 1947, there were 11,000 pools in the United States.
Most of these pools were created in the classic rectangular form, which was aesthetically pleasing and also practical. As a source of exercise, the long, straight lines of a rectilinear pool made sense for pool owners who wanted to swim laps. Reflection pools have also traditionally designed in a rectilinear or geometric shape.
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