Lorain Youth Center – Feb. 1968

You might remember that I featured the Lorain Youth Center – the 1954 version that was on Elyria Avenue – last September in this post.

Well, here's a photo and accompanying caption that ran in the Lorain Journal on Feb. 5, 1968. It features a few teens enjoying themselves at the newer version of the Lorain Youth Center on Leavitt Road between W. 21st Street and Meister Rd.

The caption reads, "Lorain Youth Center celebrated its new building in grand style Saturday drawing more than 500 teenagers to the open house. Completed in late December, the new building at 2501 Leavitt Road is nearly three times the size of the old center on Elyria Ave. at 30th St. Shown dancing to the music of "The James Gang" are Janice Sennhenn, 16, of 1302 Maple Drive, and Dennis Kish, 17, of 1220 Root Road. (Journal photo by Terry Thomas)

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When the Lorain Youth Center opened its new digs in 1968, its address in the city directory was briefly 2507 Leavitt Road. That particular address formerly belonged to H. N. Wieland Printing since about 1954, when it and the airport were the only things out that way.

Although I'm not sure, I suspect that the printing company's building was just adapted or remodeled for its new function as a teen center.

Anyway, according to the city directories,  the building served as the Lorain Youth Center until around 1980, when it was listed as the Lorain City Catholic Center. By 1983 its directory listing had changed to the Lorain County Catholic Youth Organization Center.

Around 1985 it became the Lorain Party Center & Catering Service.

The view this past Sunday afternoon

Strangely enough, although I didn't live that far from the Lorain Youth Center, I don't remember ever going in there while I was in high school. It wasn't until it had become a party center that I played a few wedding gigs there in the 80s and 90s.