Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges history

In the summer of 1915, the first camp of its kind serving the Orange area was started with a group of fifteen boys who were recruited from the West Orange Chapel of the Central Presbyterian Church.

The Colgate family, having been instrumental supporters throughout our YMCA's history, donated property in Sussex County in 1916 to give this camp a permanent home.

In 1968, the trustees voted to build Laurel Ridge Camp and with that, girls were admitted for the first time as campers.

In 1970, a group of parents from South Orange and Maplewood became disturbed about what was occurring in the teen-age world relative to drugs, alcohol and other anti-social behavior.

The Turrell Fund, another long-time supporter of the YMCA, provided the financial resources to purchase an additional 100 acres of property in 1971.

In 1973, the YMCA had an opportunity to purchase a garage and parking lot on North Munn Avenue in the back of the East Orange Turrell Center.

As the association continued to expand the ORYMCA Camp (Orange YMCA) as it was first known, increasingly served youth from beyond the Orange area, as a result, in 1976 its name was changed to Fairview Lake YMCA Camps and Conference Center.

In 1978, the East Orange Turrell Branch achieved national prominence by being designated by the National Council of YMCAs as the nation's most outstanding example of a YMCA operated by minorities for underprivileged youth.

With funds contributed by The Turrell Fund and other supporters, a gymnasium was built and dedicated on September 28, 1980.

Property on Jefferson Street behind this building was purchased and an old construction garage was converted to a gymnasium dedicated in 1981 with a house converted to the South Mountain YMCA's office.

In 1993, the YMCA of the Oranges, Maplewood, West Essex, and Sussex County, officially changed its name to the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges.

Then, in 1995 a feasibility study concluded that a full-service YMCA was not only possible, but was actually in very high demand, and so began the YMCA’s planning and fundraising efforts.

In May 1999, the Sussex County YMCA celebrated the achievement of raising $1 million towards the new Sussex County YMCA to be built on property donated by Northwest Covenant Hospital in Hardyston Township.

Then in September 2003, they expanded their programs by opening a new Full Day Kindergarten program at another location on Valley Street in South Orange.

In October 2004, the East Orange YMCA Turrell Teen Center was opened, creating a safe haven for East Orange youth.

After nearly ten years of planning and a year and a half of construction the Sussex County YMCA, which everyone is familiar with today, opened their doors to an eager Sussex County in January 2005.