The first phase of a major renovation was recently completed at the YWCA Building at the corner of Third and Wilkinson downtown. And although it was in dire need of an upgrade, the building has a long and proud history dating back to 1913.
The organization actually predates the building by several decades, as a group of Dayton women met back in 1870 to discuss how to “elevate women in our midst,” which led to the formation of the Women’s Christian Association of Dayton, Ohio. Susan Winters served as its first president and would keep the role for 21 years.
For a time the W.C.A (it would be renamed the YWCA in 1912) operated out of extra rooms in the YMCA Building on Fourth Street, but it found a home in the Winters Mansion at 130 West Third in 1892. During these years the W.C.A also owned and operated the 1882 Widows Home on Findlay Street, which still exists as a separate nonprofit today (although the beautiful Victorian building was demolished in 1972).
Today, the YWCA plays a variety of roles in the community, including providing shelter and support services for women fleeing domestic violence or transitioning from homelessness as well as leading education and empowerment programs for women and girls.
It has also served as a leader in social justice advocacy from the beginning. In 1886, its efforts to eliminate domestic violence included a petition to the Ohio General Assembly for “better legal protection for women against assault.” In 1893, it became the first YWCA in the country to offer programs for African-Americans. Since then it has focused on everything from voting rights to pay equity to health care reform.
Shortly after the turn of the century, the organization sought a larger home for its quickly growing membership (1,438 adults and 164 juniors in 1906).
In 1907, land was purchased at the NE corner of Third and Wilkinson for a new Central Building. The cornerstone was laid in 1912, and construction was just starting to ramp up when the Great Flood struck in March of 1913.
The disaster caused a delay of six weeks, but the building would get back on track and officially open on October 4th, 1913. In 1920, two additional floors were added due to still increasing demand for housing.
The current renovation project isn’t the first time the building needed a major overhaul. In the 1940s and 50s, the building languished in a state of disrepair and failed to serve a membership that had increased 1,400% since its opening in 1913. At first, the organization explored the idea of constructing a new facility with Cooper Park as a possible location.
By 1958, the plan had shifted to a renovation of the existing structure. This would not come cheap, however. David L. Rike chaired the fundraising campaign which set a goal of $1.5 million. An advertisement in the Dayton Daily News stated that “the present YWCA building is outdated, inefficient and totally inadequate for today’s needs” and explained some of the constraints:
Take the YWCA pool, for example. It is a mere 17 by 47 feet. Perhaps good-size for a backyard. But scarcely adequate for thousands of youngsters clamoring to get into a swimming pool … Take the dormitory. Its cell-like rooms and kitchen facilities are cramped and deteriorated to the point of real hazard.
But it stressed that a building study committee unanimously found the building to be structurally sound, and that “all hazards and inefficiencies can be corrected.” The campaign was a success and the $1.5 million renovation was completed in 1961.
Facilities that were cutting-edge in the 1960s would prove ill-suited for the 21st century, however. The current $17 million renovation actually reduced the number of living units from 96 to 65, but the new apartments are larger with more private spaces and many of the details conform to the group’s trauma-informed care approach.
The final phase of the renovation is scheduled to be completed in 2020, which is also the organization’s 150th anniversary.
Streetview image of the downtown location today
Sources
Rike Heads Campaign for YWCA Building, Journal Herald, 12/10/1958
The YWCA Story. Dayton Daily News 2/15/1959
YWCA Dayton celebrates 140 years by focusing on needs of today’s women. Dayton Daily News. 2/13/2011
YWCA History
Historic images courtesy of Dayton Metro Library
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