YMCA of Greenville celebrates 150 years of serving Greenville County

The YMCA of Greenville officially commemorates its 150th anniversary, marking a sesquicentennial of service to the people of Greenville County. What began on April 16, 1876, when an interdenominational committee met in the basement of Buncombe Street Methodist church in downtown Greenville to establish a local YMCA, has grown into a $30 million health and human services organization that now serves more than 85,000 people each year. Access is made available through the financial assistance program, ensuring that people from all walks of life have the chance to benefit from the Y’s life-changing programs – regardless of ability to pay.

“For 150 years, the YMCA of Greenville has grown alongside our community, adapting to changing needs while remaining firmly grounded in our mission,” said Sam Franklin, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greenville. “We take pride in our rich history and are deeply grateful to all who have helped shape our YMCA into a powerful force for good. There’s no place like this place.”

A Legacy That Shaped a Community

The YMCA of Greenville’s history is deeply woven into the fabric of the Upstate. In the early 1900’s, Thomas Parker added the first industrial YMCA in the South to Monaghan Mill, which became the social and cultural center of Greenville’s mill villages. Pete Hollis, who later led the Monaghan Mill Y, brought basketball to Greenville after learning it directly from the sport’s creator, James Naismith, at the International Training School in Springfield, MA. Hollis also organized the first Boy Scouts troop in South Carolina.

By the Numbers

Today, the Y is part of everyday life for one in seven Greenville County households. The association operates nine branches and programs spanning the county from Cleveland near the North Carolina state line to the Golden Strip in the southern part of the county. Programs encompass youth development, aquatics, afterschool care, summer camps, teen leadership, chronic disease management, and more.

Signature Programs and Recent Milestones

Notable recent highlights include:

• SC Youth in Government: More than 1,700 middle and high school students across the state participate annually in the model legislature program, one of the five largest in the country.
• RECESS: Now in its 12th year, this signature program for post-high school adults with diverse abilities operates at three YMCA locations and includes a summer day camp.
• Life Center YMCA Partnership: In October 2024, the Y began managing Prisma Health’s Life Center, creating a model where medical expertise and community-based wellness intersect to support chronic disease prevention and rehabilitation.
• All-Girls Flag Football League: Launched in 2025, the Y’s inaugural all-girls league drew more than 100 participants, ahead of women’s flag football’s Olympic debut at the 2028 Games.

Looking Ahead to the Next 150 Years

As it marks this milestone, the YMCA of Greenville announced a $1.8 million Annual Giving Campaign goal for 2026, providing financial assistance to ensure that no one is turned away from the Y’s programs due to an inability to pay. The goal reflects the Y’s enduring commitment to strengthening the foundations of community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,

Looking further ahead, the YMCA of Greenville’s three strategic priorities are deepening mission impact, pursuing operational excellence, and building long-term sustainability, positioning the organization to serve current and future generations across Greenville County.

“Our 150th anniversary isn’t just about celebrating our past,” says Sam Franklin, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greenville. “It’s about recommitting to our future and ensuring that 150 years from now, the Y is still here, still serving, and still changing lives every single day.”

To support or learn more about the YMCA of Greenville and how you can get involved, visit www.ymcagreenville.org.

YMCA of Greenville Highlights Timeline
• 1844 – George Williams joins 11 friends to organize the first YMCA in industrialized London, offering Bible study and prayer to keep young men off the streets.
• 1851 – The first YMCA in the USA was founded at the Old South Church in Boston, MA to create a safe “home away from home” for sailors and merchants.
• April 16, 1876 – An interdenominational committee of leaders from Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian faiths, met in the basement of Buncombe Street Methodist Church “to take into consideration the establishing of a YMCA.”
• 1889 – The YMCA was established in the Record Building, and included parlors, a gymnasium, bathrooms and recreation rooms.
• 1891 – Physical education teacher James Naismith invents basketball at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, MA, using soccer balls and peach baskets for hoops.
• 1895 – Y instructor William Morgan blends elements of basketball, tennis, and handball into a less strenuous game called “mintonette,” later known as volleyball.
• 1903 – Discussions start to create a centrally located YMCA.
• 1904 – Thomas Parker, who ran Monaghan Mill, added the first industrial YMCA in the South to the property. It served as the social and cultural center of the mill villages. Amenities included a gym, bowling alley, and an athletic field. Bible, gardening, and preserving classes were taught, and socials were held.
• 1905 – Pete Hollis, who ran the Monaghan Mill YMCA in the early 1900s, brought basketball back to Greenville after learning from its creator, James Naismith, during Y summer training sessions in Lake George, NY. Hollis also brought the Boy Scouts to Greenville.
• 1910 – Fundraising efforts begin across the community to build a YMCA in the city center. More than $50,000 was raised by people from all walks of life. A site on the corner of Coffee and Brown Streets was selected for the new location.
• 1912
o Mills Mill YMCA and Woodside Mill YMCA were established. Along with Monaghan Mill, they served the community until the 1950s.
o John M. Holmes, affectionately known as “Uncle Johnny” to generations of boys, becomes General Secretary of the Y.
o Central YMCA on Coffee Street opens.
o YMCA Camp Greenville founded in Blythe Shoals
• April 6, 1917 – America enters World War I. The Y provided entertainment, nourishment and healthcare for soldiers at Camp Sevier.
• 1920 – The Central YMCA on Coffee Street was the place to be. 7,240 members participated in a wide variety of sports, including basketball, which drew competition from other Ys across the region.
• 1925 – YMCA Camp Greenville moves to its current location near Cedar Mountain.
• 1930s – YMCA basketball mill leagues engaged in fierce competition.
• 1941 – Symmes Chapel is built at YMCA Camp Greenville. The iconic cliffside open-air chapel also known as Pretty Place, becomes one of the most beloved destinations in the Carolinas.
• 1948 – W.B. “Monk” Mulligan becomes General Secretary of the Y.
• April 23, 1959 – The Y breaks ground to build the new Cleveland Street YMCA. Uncle Johnny Holmes, the legendary former General Secretary, died the next day. Church bells rang across the city in his memory.
• 1960 – Cleveland Street YMCA opens. It was built for $1 million and replaces the Central YMCA on Coffee Street.
• 1968 – Charlie Johnson becomes General Secretary of the Y. He organized the Y’s first childcare program in the 70s, implemented youth soccer, and created the Heritage Club, the Y’s endowment and planned giving society, in 1976. January 23, 1970 – The Y launches Leaders Clubs for teenagers, where they hone their skills on their chosen sport, and practice coaching others as assistant instructors.
• 1975 – Golden Strip programs started.
• 1978 – Darrell Corder is hired as the new President of the Greater Greenville YMCA. The Y experiences unprecedented growth and tremendous change in the way the Y delivered services. Wellness was centered on jogging and fitness for adults, and the crucial need for childcare continued to increase. 1979 – Eastside YMCA begins as a soccer organization operating out of the Cleveland Street YMCA, then moves to North Hills Shopping Center, expands programming to include day camp and gymnastics.
• 1979 – Eastside YMCA begins as a soccer organization operating out of the Cleveland Street YMCA, then moves to North Hills Shopping Center, and expands programming to include day camp and gymnastics.
• 1988 – SC Youth in Government Model Legislature starts. Today, the program has grown to include more than 1,700 middle and high school students from across the state and is in the top 5 in the country.
• 1989 – Ground breaks for the Eastside Family YMCA at its current location.
• 1990
o Eastside YMCA opens with the capacity to serve 6,000.
o Brookfield location opened in Mauldin.
• 1992 – Northwest Greenville programs started.
• February 1993 – Gary Schlansker becomes the next leader of the YMCA and launches a major expansion plan.
• 1995-1996 – The Y’s seven-branch association is established.
• January 26, 2000 – YMCA Judson Community Center opens to offer preschool, afterschool and summer day camp to children living in the neighborhood surrounding Hollis Academy.
• 2002 – The George I. Theisen Family YMCA opened in Travelers Rest. The 12,000 sf facility sits on 95 acres of land donated by Walter Brashier. At the time, this branch offered a variety of group exercise classes, youth sports, and summer day camp.
• 2004 – Scot Baddley hired as the 7th President & CEO. For the next 20 years, Baddley grew the number of people served to 70,000 and expanded preventative health programs. He led the Y through the COVID pandemic, maintaining consistent member services and financial stability through one of the most challenging and disruptive periods of recent history.
• 2011 – The Prisma Health Family YMCA (formerly the GHS Family YMCA) opens in Simpsonville to address the needs of a growing population.
• March 2020 – The world shuts down to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
• April 12, 2020 – To give hope in a time of darkness, YMCA Camp Greenville live streams an Easter Sunrise Service from Pretty Place Chapel. More than 2 million people tuned in or watched it afterwards. The tradition continues today.
• May 18, 2020 – The Y re-opens with restrictions after two months of being closed due to the pandemic quarantine.
• May, 2020 – At the request of Greenville County Schools, the Y started to deliver meals to students whose families were experiencing food insecurity. For the last three years, the Y served 200 students every week.
• January 2021 – YMCA of Greenville tapped by Greenville County to create the standard and training on how to operate childcare centers during the pandemic for other childcare centers through the CARES Act.
• September 8, 2023 – The Eastside Multisport Complex opens its $2.4 million airnasium, turf field, futsal court, and outdoor training spaces as part of a multi-phase expansion. This expansion marked a shift toward future-focused, high-capacity programming to meet explosive community growth, expanding the branch’s capacity to serve an additional 4,500 youth in sports.
• September 23, 2024 – Sam Franklin becomes the 8th president and CEO.
• September 27, 2024 – Hurricane Helene rages through the Carolinas and inflicts incredible damage to YMCA Camp Greenville, toppling over more than 500 trees and ripping the roof off the beloved Pretty Place Chapel. Thanks to the incredible support from donors across the country, the chapel, a beacon of hope for so many, was restored and reopened in early January 2025.
• October 2024 – The YMCA of Greenville enters into an agreement with Prisma Health to convert the Life Center into the Life Center YMCA at Prisma Health, creating a model where medical expertise and community-based wellness intersect, helping individuals move from treatment to long-term healthy lifestyle habits. The partnership strengthens the YMCA’s ability to support chronic disease prevention, rehabilitation, and overall wellbeing.
• July 2025 – The Y launches its first ever all-girls flag football league. More than 100 girls signed up.
• March 2, 2026 – The association announced an ambitious $1.8 million goal for its Annual Campaign, which provides financial assistance so that no one is turned away, regardless of their ability to pay.
• April 16, 2026 -YMCA of Greenville celebrates 150 years in Greenville County.

About the YMCA of Greenville, SC

The YMCA of Greenville is a cause-driven non-profit organization. Our mission is, following the example of Christ, to build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all. With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y nurtures the potential of every youth and teen, improves the health and well-being of our community and provides opportunities to give back and help support our neighbors. Founded in 1876, the Y serves more than 85,000 people annually through programs that include after-school care, resident and day camps, aquatics, youth and adult sports, and health and wellness. Programs are offered through four family branches, as well as the Verdae YMCA, Life Center YMCA, YMCA Camp Greenville, and YMCA Judson Community Center. The Y is also home to Y Teen Services and the SC Youth in Government programs. For more information about the YMCA of Greenville, visit ymcagreenville.org, or call (864) 412-0288.