The first St. Petersburg YMCA facility formally opened its doors on June 20, 1927. This date was extremely significant as it was seven years ago to that day that a group of local business men met and brought to fruition the St. Petersburg YMCA Association. Records found from the association revealed that it was June 20, 1920 that the first meeting was held where officers were elected and a board of directors was formed.
S.D. Harris, a veteran legislator of Pinellas County was elected as the first President and T. A. Chancellor, President of First National Bank, was elected Vice President. Other members of the first Board of Directors were W.T. Baynard, Dr. William Davis, E.A. Hinds, Washington Clark, O.R. Albright, George M. Lynch, Dr. A.J. Wood, C.A. Fuller, Arthur L Johnson, and O.G. Hiestand.
The YMCA started with a budget of $5,700. During the first two years, the organization focused on spreading the word about the YMCA by working with boys clubs, churches and other organizations. It wasn’t until two years later that there was special emphasis put on establishing an active membership. The General Secretary (which was the title of the President) Gilbert Bush was called to lead on September 1920 and continued to put across the idea of the importance of working with the “boys of the city”.
As strange as it may seem, Bush’s first work with the boys was as a Latin teacher in the public schools of the city. Upon arriving to the area Bush discovered the schools were missing a Latin teacher so he volunteered to teach the class for several weeks as a way to make contact and connect with the boys. He also worked in the commercial department and physical training department of the school. During his work in the schools, Bush established relationships with many of the young men attending the schools and was able to build on the YMCA reputation.
“It was some task I had,” said Gilbert Bush on June 20th 1927 “with the aid of a bicycle I visited all the schools of the city at least once a week to conduct the physical training”
The association continued to grow - recruiting new members and expanding its activities. A night school attended by a large number of ex-service men was one of these activities. In January 1921, the association showed a membership of 68. In September 1921, the first YMCA Camp was held, this proving to be a big feature for the community. The first Hi-Y Club in St .Petersburg started in 1921 by Ben Northrup and by 1926 had grown its membership to include 554 men and 250 boys. The YMCA continued to work with churches and other organizations in the city and took a prominent role in leading the physical training and athletic activities of the city.
The first YMCA facility, opened on June 20, 1927, was located on 116 Fifth Street South. Varying from most YMCA building styles, the St. Petersburg YMCA was of a Spanish architecture and design. The facility featured two completely equipped gymnasiums and was one of the finest indoor athletic facilities in the south. One of the gymnasiums featured more of the exercise machines and weights while the other was suited for indoor baseball & basketball, an indoor running track, and other activities. The physical training equipment was said to be some of the most modern equipment available at that time and was considered one of the “strongest attractions” of the new YMCA. The facility also featured an indoor pool in the basement that held 51,000 gallons of water.
“It is our ambition to make this more than a YMCA building. We have hopes of making it a real community center, a service to the city. We want the people of St. Petersburg who have been so generous in helping us obtain it, to feel that they are always welcome within its walls. We want all the people to feel that they are always welcome here.” Said Gilbert Bush on June 20th 1927 at the opening of the new building.
The YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg continued to serve the community eventually expanding its membership to include women and children. The YMCA focused on becoming a resource to all members of the community and began expanding the programs and services being offered.
In 1999, the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg embarked on a Capital Campaign to raise funds for a new building and in the fall of 2001 the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA, located at 3200 1st Ave. South in St. Petersburg. The brand new facility boasted state-of-the-art fitness equipment, indoor lap pool, and a gymnasium. Along with swim lessons and personal training, a variety of group exercise classes were offered including cycling, kickboxing, pilates, circuit training and more. The YMCA also offered outreach programs such as tutoring, the Hi-Y-Club, career development services, computer labs as well as others.
In spring 2002 the Harbordale YMCA located at 2421 4th St. South in St. Petersburg opened its doors. Not your typical YMCA, this facility did not feature any fitness equipment but rather served as a community center with afterschool academic programs, a fully equipped computer lab with certified instructors and free services for adults.
Over the next six years the YMCA continued to grow its membership at both of these facilities and began to look at other areas of the community where an impact could be made.
In partnership with the City of St. Petersburg, construction on a YMCA facility in the Childs Park community began January 2008 and was completed in October 2008. Much like the Harbordale YMCA, this facility serves as a community center offering academic based programs, a computer lab, public library, art programs, Zumba, free services for adults and more! Less than two years later the Childs Park YMCA serves more than 500 members.
With 90 years of service to the St. Petersburg community, the YMCA has a rich history we are very proud of. We will continue to impact the members of our community by offering necessary programs and services and will continue to be vital resource to this wonderful community.
90th Anniversary
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