Brooklyn Central YMCA records

The YMCA in Brooklyn, New York, founded in 1853, initially met at the Second Congregational Church, the Church of the Pilgrims, the Brooklyn Athenaeum, the Reformed Church on the Heights and other Brooklyn churches. After establishing formal rooms, the association was located in the Washington Building at the corner of Court and Joraleman Streets, but it rapidly outgrew this facility as well as second location. In 1865 the organization leased a building at 80-82 Fulton Street at the corner of Gallatin Place. In 1872 it moved again -- this time across the street to larger rental accommodations. In 1885 the Brooklyn YMCA dedicated its first purpose-built building, at 502 Fulton Street -- the Brooklyn Central YMCA. The new building included a "swimming bath" 14 feet wide, 45 feet long and 5 feet deep that was reported to be the first swimming pool in a YMCA facility. The branch was involved in other sports "firsts": In 1896 its basketball team participated in the first professional game against the Trenton, New Jersey, YMCA. The branch also hosted the first national YMCA swimming championships.

The Brooklyn association was known for the extent and fervor of its religious work, holding many weekly prayer meetings and conducting local evangelizing work that targeted everyone, not just young men. A long-serving General Secretary, Edwin F. See, articulated the sentiment of many leaders and benefactors of the Brooklyn association when he said, "The religious work must permeate all phases and departments of the Association." See directed the establishment of extensive Bible training and study courses and developed outreach programs to men working in factories, conducting meetings and hymn sings during the lunch hour. This effort to reach men where they worked extended to commercial travellers, shopworkers and railroad workers. The Brooklyn Association was also involved in missionary work abroad and maintained links with many Protestant churches in Brooklyn.

In 1915, the Brooklyn Association dedicated its new Central building, known as "the largest YMCA in the world". Located on the block bordered by Hason Place, Fort Greene Place and South Elliott Place, the building project was funded by generous gifts from donors such as Mrs. William Van Rensselaer Smith, members of the Pratt family and John D. Rockefeller. In addition to building the new Central branch, the Brooklyn Association purchased a new site for the Twenty-sixth Ward branch and began fund raising for an expanded Prospect Park branch at the same time. In the years following World War I, the Brooklyn Association expanded its focus beyond its roots, conducting Americanization programs targeted at immigrants, most of whom were not evangelical Protestants. In 1924, the association changed its name to the Brooklyn and Queens YMCA to reflect the branch's expansion into the neighboring borough. In 1957 the Brooklyn and Queens YMCA merged with the New York YMCA to become the YMCA of Greater New York.

After weathering some tough financial storms during the Depression, and significantly changed Brooklyn demographics, the Central branch ended the 20th century operating from a storefront in Brooklyn Heights. However, in 2005 it opened a new building on Atlantic Avenue, funded in part by a significant grant from the Dodge Family Foundation. The branch name changed to the Dodge branch of the YMCA of Greater New York. By 2012, Brooklyn was home to eight branches; Queens had six.

(Information taken from History of the Brooklyn and Queens Young Men's Christian Association, 1853-1949by E. Clark Worman.)