New Lorain YMCA Dedicated – Sept. 13, 1970

Although Lorain doesn’t have a YMCA right now, fifty years ago it was celebrating the opening of its brand new one on Tower Boulevard that replaced the one on E. 28th Street. (I wrote about the 1925 opening of the YMCA on E. 28th Street back here.)

As the small article from the Sept. 4, 1970 Journal above notes, the new facility was dedicated on September 13, 1970.

Photo from the Sept. 11, 1970 Journal

An Sept. 11, 1970 article in the paper noted, “The building serves an area west from Vermilion east to Avon Lake and south to Elyria. It is also headquarters for the Vermilion Branch of the Lorain Y.

“The new Y offers a multi-purpose room which can host dances, banquets, movies and large meetings. There is also a kitchen off this room and there is a smaller meeting room across the hall.

“The gymnasium has facilities for basketball, volleyball, badminton and contains gymnastic equipment. There’s also two regulation handball courts.

“The lower level of the Y houses the Health Club and an indoor track.

“The initial planning for the new Y began in 1962 and in 1967 the first fund raising campaign was held. It fell short of the goal and a completion campaign was held in 1969.”

(A feature of the new YMCA's pool was an observation area at one end, where parents and friends could watch the swimmers. I hope no one was watching when I unsuccessfully took swimming lessons there one summer.)

Anyway, today the former YMCA on Tower Boulevard is home to the Church of the Open Door Lorain Campus.