YMCA of Greater New York. Booklyn Central Branch.

The YMCA in Brooklyn, New York, founded in 1853, initially met at the Second Congregational Church, the Church of the Pilgrims, the Brooklyn Athenaeum, the Reformed Church on the Heights and other Brooklyn churches. After establishing formal rooms, the association was located in the Washington Building at the corner of Court and Joraleman Streets, but it rapidly outgrew this facility as well as second location. In 1865 the organization leased a building at 80-82 Fulton Street at the corner of Gallatin Place. In 1872 it moved again--this time across the street to larger rental accommodations. In 1885 the Brooklyn YMCA dedicated its first purpose-built building, at 502 Fulton Street--the Brooklyn Central YMCA. The new building included a "swimming bath" 14 feet wide, 45 feet long and 5 feet deep that was reported to be the first swimming pool in a YMCA facility. The branch was involved in other sports "firsts": In 1896 its basketball team participated in the first professional game against the Trenton, New Jersey, YMCA. The branch also hosted the first national YMCA swimming championships.

The Brooklyn association was known for the extent and fervor of its religious work, holding many weekly prayer meetings and conducting local evangelizing work that targeted everyone, not just young men. A long-serving General Secretary, Edwin F. See, articulated the sentiment of many leaders and benefactors of the Brooklyn association when he said, "The religious work must permeate all phases and departments of the Association." See directed the establishment of extensive Bible training and study courses and developed outreach programs to men working in factories, conducting meetings and hymn sings during the lunch hour. This effort to reach men where they worked extended to commercial travellers, shopworkers and railroad workers. The Brooklyn Association was also involved in missionary work abroad and maintained links with many Protestant churches in Brooklyn.

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