Thurgood Marshall Center
1816 12th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
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Jair Lynch managed the rehabilitation of the first African-American YMCA, which was originally built in 1908. The 35,000 square foot facility is now the home of The Thurgood Marshall Center. It houses a learning center, heritage center, and 28,500 square feet of office space. The building, formerly known as the Anthony Bowen YMCA, is a National Historic Landmark and was listed among “101 Historic Sites in Need of Restoration” by the White House’s Millennium Council to Save America’s Treasures. The project included the conversion of the single room occupancy spaces on the upper floors into office space and transformation of the pool and recreation facilities into a learning center. The Thurgood Marshall Center offers an interactive program that gives life to the long history of African Americans in MidCity Washington, with stories of struggle and documentation of success.