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First Posted: 5/7/2013 WILKES-BARRE &#8212; As the American Civil War raged on, Wilkes-Barre&#8217;s residents gathered in Chahoon Hall on West Market Street 150 years ago today to discuss establishing a year-round recreational and religious program for the city&#8217;s young men.
At that time, a city made its mark by having amenities such as a theater, library and public parks, said Anthony T.P. Brooks, director of The Luzerne County Historical Society. But having a YMCA was a bragging right, he said.
Today, the Greater Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA will hold a celebration to mark the founders&#8217; successful vision that incorporates people, regardless of religion, race or gender.
&#8220;One&#173; hundred and fifty years is a very exciting milestone for the Wilkes&#173;-Barre Family YMCA,&#8221; said Executive Director Jim Thomas. &#8220;We&#8217;re honored that for generations we&#8217;ve been able to make a positive impact on the residents of the Wilkes&#173;-Barre area and beyond.&#8221;
The event marking the sesquicentennial of the YMCA&#8217;s inception will be held this morning in the lobby of the building at 40 W. Northampton St. that&#8217;s been home to the YMCA since Oct. 1, 1934.
Designed by architect Thomas A. Foster, the building was constructed in 15 months during the Great Depression by A.J. Sordoni contracting at a cost of $625,000. It sits on land that was once home to a mansion owned by real estate developer and hardware store proprietor George Slocum Bennett, who was elected president of the YMCA in 1871.
In its early years the YMCA was housed in various buildings throughout downtown Wilkes-Barre before construction of a building on North Main Street in 1892 on land where The Times Leader building now sits. That building, which has been demolished, served as the YMCA&#8217;s second longest home, operating there from 1892 to 1934.
In 1911, the former G.J. Stegmaier home at 56 N. Washington St., adjacent to Coughlin High School, was purchased and remodeled for use as a boys&#8217; building. Three years later it was renovated and enlarged for YMCA use.
When the North Main Street structure opened 121 years ago, the city had about 38,000 residents. That number more than doubled, and by 1934 it stood at an all-time high of 86,62. The men enjoyed the North Main Street YMCA&#8217;s offering that included bowling alleys, a gymnasium, running track and a pool.
But more space was needed.
Changing times
The city was going through a boom time and its white population was growing. The city&#8217;s black population also was surging and the YMCA took notice.
In 1922 the YMCA&#8217;s South Branch was founded at 434 S. Main St. to serve the city&#8217;s black community. In time, other YMCA branches opened: Midvale in Plains Township in 1944, the Memorial branch in Parsons in 1946 and the Back Mountain branch in 1952.
The creation of a YWCA to serve the city&#8217;s young Christian women also was a success, but in October 1961 the Wilkes-Barre YWCA relocated to the enlarged YMCA at Northampton and Franklin streets to jointly serve the community.
From this evolution the Greater Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA emerged.
The YMCA started as a place for young Christian men to reflect on religion and enjoy recreation activities. The current building on West Northampton Street, in addition to housing a 75-foot swimming pool, contained 96 bedrooms leased to single men on four of the building&#8217;s six floors.
Today, men and women, single and not, reside in 21 new apartments occupying the building&#8217;s fourth, fifth and sixth floors.
The units were created in 2011 when the YMCA embarked on a renovation to modernize the building, adding a new wellness center, updated locker rooms and the upper floor apartments.
Camps part of YMCA
 Summer camps and programs have long been part of the organization&#8217;s offerings.
In 1926 F.M. Kirby and attorney Gilbert McClintock donated a 100-acre site along the Lehigh River near Blakeslee for a boys&#8217; summer camp, which opened a year later under the name Camp Pocohanna.
It closed in 1952 and the proceeds from its sale were used to purchase 1,200 acres around Beaver Lake near White Haven, with retail mogul S.S. Kresge chipping in $65,000 to pay for buildings at the camp. The camp was dubbed Camp Kresge.
Later, a day camp was created at Frances Slocum State Park. Today both the day camp and overnight camps operate.
When it was founded, the YMCA had no permanent facility to accommodate its 24 white, male Christian members. It also operated with a $21 budget.
Today the 128,709-square-foot downtown facility boasts 5,159 members and has an annual budget of about $2.55 million.
&#8220;The Wilkes-Barre YMCA was originally formed as a safe haven for young men with an emphasis on spirituality, character development and recreation. The YMCA was a place they could reside, recreate and grow spiritually,&#8221; said Kim Greenip, the YMCA&#8217;s membership director. &#8220;Now, 150 years later, we have grown and evolved to serve families, individuals and the community as their needs have changed over the years &#8212; all while staying true to our mission.&#8221;

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