Over times, businesses come and go. A popular establishment in Alexandria was one example.
In 1959, the Brass Key restaurant and bar opened. In July, it advertised that its menu offered steaks, chops, seafood, and “all kinds of sandwiches.” Its hours were 7:00 am to 2:00 pm for breakfast, with lunch and dinner available any time.
In an August interview, the restaurant manager named prime rib and lobster tails as popular dishes.
The business often resorted to newspaper advertising. A 1960 ad noted the recent addition of a swimming pool, the attraction that would become synonymous with the Brass Key. The pool was 100 feet x 120 feet and held 500,000 gallons of water. It included three diving boards, along with a patio, a snack area, and a bathhouse.
A 1963 advertisement specified steaks, chicken, and seafood as specialties and mentioned that the Brass Key Swim Club was selling memberships that allowed purchasers to enjoy the pool and its underwater lighting.
A notice in 1972 revealed a change. What was now the “Campbell County Swim Club, (formerly the Brass Key)” was off-limits to the public, only open for members, costing $80 for a family of fewer than six people, $90 for six people or more, $60 for a couple, and $35 for individuals – “just one price for the entire swim season.”
By 1980, however, more change had followed. The pool was now available to everyone, with a daily admission fee of $2.50 for adults. Seasonal passes were $70 for singles or $100 for couples. The pool opened daily from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm from late May to early September.
Nothing lasts forever. On February 7, 1982, a newspaper printed a notice that the Brass Key and all its equipment would be up for auction. The sale took place February 13, and a popular local hang-out was gone, but not forgotten.