YWCA, Schenectady, NY

The Young Women's Christian Association incorporated in Schenectady in 1892 and rented rooms at 242 State Street. They held classes in bookkeeping, stenography, Bible study, English, embroidery, China painting, physical culture and social evening for employed girls. There was also a supervised "noon rest hour".

In 1898, they bought a building at 14 State Street in the Westinghouse Block, but were forced to sell it to the city in 1925 for use as a park when the new YMCA was built at 13 State Street. The YWCA then purchased land at 44 Washington Ave. where the current building was built and officially opened on January 28, 1931.

Of interesting note is that the YMCA opened only three years earlier on January 28, 1928 in a building costing $625,000. The YWCA building cost just $325,000. Both buildings are still in active use today.

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Historic photo

 

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