Bath Area Family YMCA marks 170 years with community celebration

The Bath Area Family YMCA filled 303 Centre Street with family-friendly fun, food, music and a field-day style celebration Saturday as it marked 170 years in Bath. Slugger the Sea Dog joined the public event, which ran from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and turned the anniversary into a neighborhood gathering rather than a private milestone.

The organization’s roots reach back to May 30, 1856, when the Bath Young Men’s Christian Association held its first meeting in the vestry of Central Church, now the Chocolate Church. Galen Moses, then president of the Association, financed the building used in the YMCA’s early history. The Bath organization has kept serving the community ever since, with a mission centered on helping youth and offering programs and services regardless of ability to pay.

That original purpose has changed shape as Bath changed around it. The YMCA added a swimming pool in 1962, then a larger gym and fitness space in 1973, before moving to its current Centre Street home in 2001. What began with essay readings and prayer meetings now includes basketball, child care, yoga and aquatic exercise.

Amy Vendt was named interim chief executive officer effective July 14, 2025, and then appointed permanent CEO on Jan. 28. The Y has deepened its child-care role through work with Bath Iron Works and the U.S. Navy. In September 2024, the YMCA was set to expand to offer 150 child-care spots for BIW employees.

The Brunswick Early Learning Center has 10 classrooms and two playgrounds, and it was built to serve up to 120 infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Early enrollment topped just over 70 children, with about two-thirds from BIW families. The Bath Area Family YMCA reported about $6.71 million in revenue and $6.55 million in expenses in 2024, with 304 employees and 317 volunteers listed in its filing.