26th Ward YMCA

The first YMCA in the area opened on November 6, 1893. The organization was chartered as early as 1883 but relied on temporary facilities for the first 10 years. Thanks to the University of Minnesota which holds the YMCA archives and has assisted me with materials for research.

26th Ward Branch YMCA,corner Liberty and Pennsylvania
Dated:1907 Maker: Souvenir Post Card Co. Status: Own(RG)
The original YMCA building sat on the southwest corner of Liberty Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, facing Pennslyvania Avenue. On the right is a brochure from 1898 announcing an Open House to recruit new members.
Brochure, 1898
An 1898 brochure describing the different offerings of the YMCA and the prices for each level of membership .
Entertainment, 1898
An 1898 document advertising the Rutger's Glee Club, along with some benfits for Y members .
Basketball Team, 1905
The YMCA teams were very competitive in these years, often winning city-wide titles in several sports. The YMCA gym also hosted the church leagues, in the years before the churches built their own recreation centers.
Pool and Gameroom, circa 1913
The pool was on the first floor, along with the gymnasium and locker room. It was known as a "plunge" in those days, which ironically means it was not deep enough for diving. The lockerroom was apparently heated and lit by gas, and made for a foul smelling space. The gameroom was located on the top floor.
Poolroom
A shot of the Poolroom, and on the right a recruiting brochure for the Jewell Literary Society. Ditmas Jewell was a very prominent member of 26th Ward society, and helped found the YMCA branch.
The Triangle, 1918
The YMCA published their own newsletter, this is an issue from 1918.
Now we bounce ahead a few years. The YMCA is quite succesful, the baseball team wins the citywide YMCA title in 1912, but the facility is quickly becoming dated. The Y is interested in attracting residents from the Cypress Hills area and purchases land on the corner of Ridgewood and Logan in 1914. I have not verified yet the exact location but the 1929 plat maps show a large lot on the southeast corner still undeveloped at that time. We know they scrapped plans to build there and sold the lot in 1924 when they acquired the Van Siclen Homestead on Jamaica Avenue and constructed the new YMCA there.
Polish Falcon Nest, mid 1950s
So what became of the old YMCA? Rod Maggio first tipped me off that the YMCA building became home to the Polish Democratic Club, and the Polish Falcon Nest Social Club. He also recalled it was destroyed by fire. Rod's memory proves to be quite sharp. Judy (Rothstein) Zimmer sent in this photo looking across Pennsylvania Avenue from P.S. 173 in 1953. You can see the old YMCA in the background, then the Polish Falcon Nest. Judy recalls the fire; "We were right next door to the Polish Falcons Nest, and I recall the fire that Rod mentioned and evacuating. My parents were not unhappy about it--Saturday nights, the polka music would keep them up until the wee hours. We moved in 1956, so I'd say the fire took place sometime between 1954 and 1956."
So I did some digging and discovered that the fire took place on December 29, 1954. The Daily News featured a photo of firemen battling the blaze in the centerfold section of the newspaper, which usually featured 5 or 6 newsworthy photos. It was too dark to print on microfilm readers. The news article was more interesting. It seems the place was torched, and the arsonist, Salvatore Scrimenti, was injured in the initial explosion. A bus driver saw him crawling away and he was discovered dead 7 blocks away. You would think there would be followup articles over the next several days but I have to find anything more about the fire. Rod Maggio recalls a Burger Flame restaurant replaced the building. Neil Sullivan supplied the shot of the corner as it stands today.