historical timeline

A brief history of the YWCA of Richmond's 120 years of service

 

 

 

1887     

The oldest YWCA in the South, YWCA of Richmond was conceived in a parlor meeting of eight women on May 16, 1887

 

1888     

Opened a boarding home, which would accommodate 19 young women moving to Richmond for factory work

 

1891     

Opened day nursery to care for children while their mothers worked in local factories

 

1911     

Phyllis Wheatley Branch opened, one of the country’s first African-American branches

 

1914     

Began construction of the YWCA facility on 5th Street; the building was designed for programs focusing on residence and physical fitness

 

1930     

Assisted in starting the Southern Commission on Interracial Cooperation

 

1960     

Fully integrated all programs

 

1979     

Started a sexual assault center, one of the first in Virginia; it operates today as Richmond’s only 24-hour sexual assault center

 

Opened the first shelter for battered women in Richmond

 

1989     

Opened the first shelter for battered women in Chesterfield

 

Initiated the first and only preschool program for homeless children in Richmond

 

1996     

Eliminated health and fitness programs to concentrate on three focus areas: domestic violence, sexual violence, and child early childhood education

 

2001     

Raised over $4 million through the Rebuilding Hope Capital Campaign to renovate the Richmond domestic violence shelter and the historic 5th Street building

 

2006     

Child Development Center became one of only a few nonprofit centers that is certified by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

 

2007     

Celebrates 120th Anniversary