Bronx YMCA records

The Bronx YMCA was created in 1977 from a merger between the Bronx-Union branch and the Westchester-Bronx branch. The Bronx-Union branch, an outgrowth of discussions between the New York YMCA and the Young Men's Christian Union (an organization delivering YMCA services in the Bronx in the later years of the 19th century), was established in 1904 in a converted piano factory at 149th Street and Washington Avenue. The Westchester-Bronx branch began operations in 1946. It operated extension centers in Clason Point, Fort Schuyler, Morris Park, Sound View, Throggs Neck, Union Port, and Westchester Square. In 1970 it opened a new building at 2244 Westchester Avenue after moving to temporary quarters in the Fourth Presbyterian Church. The merged Bronx branch increasingly adapted its programming to the changing needs of the community by establishing programs for the homeless. It also developed links between neighborhood seniors and local children to address problems caused by the uncertainty of many family situations in the branch's service area.

Historical information taken from The YMCA at 150: A History of the YMCA of Greater New York, 1852-2002,by Pamela Bayless, 2002; and from An Event on Mercer Street, by Terry Donoghue, 1951.