YMCA at Albany, NY

PB155201

YMCA at Albany, NY

Facilities

The building pictured was built in 1901 and served as the West Albany YMCA until 1933 when it became the HQ of the NYCS signal department for the Mohawk, Hudson and part of the Boston and Albany divisions of the NYCS. When a YMCA the building contained a cafeteria, reading rooms, sleeping area, lecture rooms, bowling allies and large open space for parties and dancing. In the summer the NYC shopmen baseball team played on a dirt diamond behind the YMCA and the West Albany concert band performed weekends off of the large front porch before thousands of NYC employees. The building was the headquarters and meeting facilities for the West Albany YMCA formed in the 1870s on nearby Essex street with a permanent, paid recording and administrative secretary. It closed as a YMCA in 1933 with the belt tightening of the great depression and following the movement of yard and round house workers to the new Selkirk yard in 1924-1925. At that time the NYCS signal department moved in the empty YMCA building until further belt tightening in 1951 when the signal department moved on the B&A division and the building was torn down. This YMCA building is featured on color post cards from the era! It had a position overlooking the shops and yards of the NYCS at West Albany. The Vanderbilt’s donated $100,000.00, huge sum. To the construction of the three-story structure in 1901. The building was so large that it required a steel skeleton to hold it up! Very unusual and expensive for the time!

L. D. Tinkham

3x5 glossy photo

12/1/1951

To buy a copy of this photograph; click here PB155201

YMCA

Albany, NY