This pool was built in 1910 as a replacement for the municipal bath house which had been at the foot of Jefferson Street. The Jefferson Street bath house had once been a floating structure with a slat bottom. It was closed due to increased pollution in the Willamette River. The Sellwood pool was the first structure of its kind in the city. It was a large wooden edifice with a ten-foot board fence around it to provide privacy: girls used the pool one day, boys the next. The pool has been in continuous use since 1910.

In 2016, the original 87-year old cedar shingle roof on the bathhouse was replaced with funding from the 2014 Parks Replacement Bond. Other improvements included new paint, seismic improvements, and brick repairs.