Greenwich YMCA is a historic building at 50 East Putnam Avenue in
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...
. Built in 1916 as a gift from Mrs. Nathaniel Witherill, it is a distinctive example of
Colonial Revival /
Georgian Revival style with Beaux Arts flourishes. The building was listed on the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1996.
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Description and history
Greenwich YMCA is located at the northern end of the Greenwich's business district, it occupies the southeast corner of East Putnam and Mason Streets. The building is centered on the corner, where there is a central rotunda from which four-story rectangular wings extend, with a large gymnasium/swimming pool complex set in the area between the wings. The rotunda rises above the hip roofs of the wings, topped by a shallow dome and octagonal cupola. The rounded central section has a porch area supported by Doric columns, whose ceiling is finished with Guastavino tile. Separate entrances for men and boys are set near the rotunda on each wing, framed by paired Doric columns and topped by pedimented gables.
The building was designed by M.L. and H.G. Emory, two virtually unknown architects from New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and built in 1916. It was a gift to the community of Mrs. Rebecca Witherell, given in memory of her late husband Nathaniel, a major local real estate magnate. Typical of YMCAs of the time, the facility offered athletic facilities, as well as short-term housing that was seen as a more wholesome alternative to seedier boarding houses of the time.[ and ]
See also
*
References
External links
Greenwich YMCA website
{{National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Colonial Revival architecture in Connecticut
Buildings and structures completed in 1916
YMCA buildings in the United States
Buildings and structures in Greenwich, Connecticut
Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
1916 establishments in Connecticut