History

Local YMCA History

Before consolidation of the city’s YMCAs, there were five local branches in the Tri-Cities. The Central YMCA, the first branch built, was established in 1909 as the first industrial YMCA in the South. In 1917, the Leaksville Y was built and the North Spray YMCA opened its doors in 1918. The Draper Y began operations in 1919, and Henry Street Y opened in 1944. Industrialist B. Frank Mebane supported the opening of the Central Y, and his mills managed it.

The Central YMCA, first Y branch, was a community center that offered pool tables, bowling alleys, and religious and physical education programs. The branch operated for 61 years.

The Leaksville branch grew in its early years, but fire destroyed the original building in 1936. Another site was founded that year, and it housed the Leaksville Y until it became the Boys Club of Leaksville.

The North Spray branch had a large growth in its early years. However, after World War II, it was absorbed by the Central Y.

The Draper branch was well equipped with showers, a bowling alley, and a billiards room. A gym was added in 1922, and this combination with the other amenities gave the Draper Y probably the best physical facilities of any YMCA building in this area.

The Henry Street YMCA was started as the black branch of the consolidated Central Y. It became a part of the consolidated YMCA that opened in 1971.

The original Eden YMCA building on Kennedy Street housed a gym, an olympic-size swimming pool, a game room, ceramics shop, canteen area, and teen room and offices. Additions to the building included the F.C. “Buck” Dumaine Youth Center that included a gym, dance room (now a state-of-the-art aerobics room), and multi-purpose room. Also added at the same time were two racquetball courts, and renovation of the existing building included separate fitness centers for men and women. In the 1990s, the separate fitness centers were combined into one fitness area, which now includes a cardio-vascular room, just added in 2000. In the late 1990s, reconstruction of the new clay-composite tennis courts was completed along with playground and picnic shelter. Fields for almost every kind of outdoor sport and an asphalt outdoor track have been added since the YMCA was built in 1971.

If you haven’t been to your YMCA lately, you owe it to yourself to pay us a visit.  Fitness, fun, and fellowship are what you’ll find!

YMCA of the USA

Volunteer founded and volunteer led, the YMCA was established in London, England, in 1844 by George Williams, a draper’s shop assistant, to give young men an alternative to life on the streets.

In 1851, Thomas Sullivan, a retired sea captain and lay missionary, started the first U.S. YMCA in Boston. From there, YMCAs spread rapidly across America. Some were started to serve specific groups such as railroad and factory workers, as well as African American, Native Americans and recent immigrants. After World War II, women and girls were admitted to full membership and participation. 

Here are just a few of the “firsts” for the YMCA:

  • 1881- Boston YMCA’s Robert J. coins the term “bodybuilding.“
  • 1885 -Sumner Dudley founds the nation’s oldest continuously operating YMCA camp, known today as Camp Dudley. Also, the world’s first indoor swimming pool is built at Brooklyn (NY) Central YMCA.
  • 1891-James Naismith invents basketball at International YMCA Training School (Springfield, MA). Dr. Luther Gulick designs YMCA logo, an equilateral triangle to show balance of body, mind and spirit.
  • 1895-William G. Morgan of Holyoke (MA) YMCA invents volleyball.
  • 1906-George Corsan of Toronto, hired by Detroit YMCA, revolutionizes water safety and teaching with mass swimming lessons.
  • 1950-First racquetball game led by its inventor, Joe Sobek, at Greenwich (CT) YMCA.
  • 1970-Jackie Sorenson begins “dance exercise“ classes at the Towson (MD) YMCA, leading to the boom in “aerobic dancing“ in the U.S.
  • 1971- “Y’s Way to Physical Fitness“ program establishes national fitness testing standard.
  • 1976- YMCA launches nationwide cardiovascular health program.
  • 1986- YMCA of the USA introduces “YMCA Fitness Leaders,“ a standard program for training and certifying fitness instructors.
  • 1992- YMCAs conduct first national Healthy Kids Day to encourage healthy development of youth; it becomes an annual April event.
  • 2004 – YMCA of the USA, with the help of senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), unveils YMCA “Activate America“ initiative, a multi-year plan for leading community-based solutions to address the nation’s declining health and rise in obesity and chronic diseases.

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