The Springfield Massachusetts YMCA was one of the first YMCAs to be established in North America after Montreal and Boston. The first YMCA meeting to be organized in Springfield was on May 3, 1852 at the Old First Church on Court Square. After one year, there were 100 members. It was soon disbanded for lack of support, along with YMCA’s in many other cities, during the panic of the late 1850’s.

On March 9, 1864 the Association was re-established in rooms in the Old Corner Bookstore Building at the corner of Main and State Streets. The YMCA then moved to new rooms in the new Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company building on October 9, 1867. It was at this time that the first convention of the YMCA Associations of Massachusetts was held at the Old First Church. After “the great fire” destroyed the YMCA rooms and its properties on May 30, 1875 they were temporarily moved to Barnes Block. Unfortunately, operations were again suspended after reporting being $900 in debt on November 15, 1876.

Springfield’s third attempt at establishing a YMCA began in the early 1880s with the creation of three separate branches; a Railroad YMCA, the Armory Hill YMCA, and a Central/Downtown Springfield Branch. The first to be established was the Railroad YMCA branch. Begun in June 1882, its purpose was to support the men who worked at the Springfield railroad junction, an important railroad hub at that time. This was the first Railroad YMCA to open in New England. By August 19, 1892, the Springfield Railroad YMCA became the first YMCA in the nation to provide sleeping accommodations for the railroad. For 25 cents a month, admitted members were allowed all the privileges that the Y offered. A new Railroad Branch Building was erected in December 5, 1904 on Railroad Terrace. This branch was eventually discontinued as railroads in the United States used fewer workers.

The Armory Hill YMCA Branch’s reading room was opened and prayer meetings were first held in the old Hope Church Chapel on Amory Hill on November 21, 1882. With the establishment of the School for Christian Workers, the Armory Hill YMCA moved into the school’s new building built next to Hope Church on the corner of State and Sherman Streets. Renting rooms from the school, the Armory Hill YMCA served as a training ground for the students. Many of the faculty and all the students were members. Some important figures and members of both the Y and the School for Christian Workers were Robert J. Roberts, who along with Luther Halsey Gulick started and ran the School for Christian Workers’ physical department, Jacob Bowne, who served as the head of the secretarial department, and Henry David Reed, who’s Hope Church served as the birthing ground for both. Though it was created for a YMCA Training School (now Springfield College) class, Basketball, created by Dr. James Naismith in 1981, was first played in the same gymnasium used by the Armory Hill YMCA. The Armory Hill YMCA Association was eventually subsumed into the Central Branch after their new building was built and dedicated in 1895.

The Central or Downtown Springfield Branch was created in 1884 in the heart of the business section of the city, first located on the second and third floors of the Second National Bank Building at the corner of Main Street and Townsley Avenue. The top floor was known as the gymnasium and the lower for the reading and game rooms. On January 10, 1891, the Railroad Branch, the Armory Hill Branch, and the Central Branch Associations were consolidated under the name of “Springfield YMCA.” Each continued to hold branch relationships. In 1895 the first Springfield YMCA building was built. It was dedicated on March 19, 1895. Since that time two other buildings have been erected, one in 1916 and the other in 1968. Shortly after this, Camp Norwich was founded in 1896. This was the first YMCA camp in New England. The camp was finally sold to the Hampshire Regional YMCA in 2006.

As of the writing of this historical note in 2016, the Central YMCA was located on 275 Chestnut Street. It served as the main branch for the entire YMCA of Greater Springfield Association and there were five branches, including the central building, and multiple outreach centers.

- Researched and Written by Shelby Redman, March 8, 2016 - Changes and additions by Jeffrey Monseau, April 2016

Resources used

MS 523- Springfield YMCA Papers- A History of the Springfield, MA YMCA; Cop. 1. 1852-1952. 2, Series 1, Box 1.

YMCA of Greater Springfield: 1852-2002. By Ginger Cruickshank. BV 1050. S82 C78, 2001, Rare.

MS 523- Springfield YMCA Papers- Historical Sketch of the Springfield YMCA. 1936. 6, Series 1, Box 1.

MS 523- Springfield YMCA Papers- Historical Sketch of the Springfield YMCA. 7, Series 1, Box 1.

MS 523- Springfield YMCA Papers - The Springfield YMCA: The third oldest in North America, 1991. 8, Series 1, Box 1. YMCA of Greater Springfield

Chronology

May 3, 1852 – The first YMCA meeting was held in Old First Church on Court Square.

March 9, 1864 – YMCA re-established in rooms in the Old Corner Bookstore Building.

October, 1867 – First Massachusetts YMCA Associations Convention held in Old First Church.

1873 – Milton Bradley was elected President of YMCA (now known as Chief Volunteer Officer).

May 30, 1875 – “The great fire” destroyed YMCA rooms and properties.

November 15, 1976 – YMCA operations suspended after reporting being $900 in debt.

June, 1882 – The members of the Springfield Railroad YMCA adopted by-laws, leading to the creation of the first Railroad YMCA in New England.

November 21, 1882 – Armory Hill YMCA branch reading room opened in Hope Church.

1884 – The Central/Downtown Springfield YMCA Branch was created.

January 10th, 1891 – The Railroad Branch, Armory Hill Branch, and Central Branch Associations consolidated under the name “Springfield YMCA.”

March 19, 1895 – The first Springfield YMCA building erected & dedicated downtown.

1895 – Amory Hill YMCA given up and its work continued in the Central Branch.

1896 – Camp Norwich, on Lake Norwich Huntington, MA established (first Y camp in New England).

1904 – The Railroad Branch Building erected.

1914 – The Central Branch was deemed inadequate and funds were raised to create new building.

1916 – New Central branch moved to Chestnut Street & Hillman Street location.

1919 – The YMCA contracted with Northeastern College to become a division of the Springfield Northeastern College now known as Western New England University.

1968 – Moved to new and current location, 275 Chestnut Street.

1989 – Camp Norwich Closed

1994 – Camp Norwich sold to Springfield College

2002 – Camp Norwich returned to Springfield Y ownership

2006 – Camp Norwich sold to Hampshire Regional YMCA