Anthony Bowen (1805-1872)

Anthony Bowen (1805-1872), was a former slave who organized the first African-American YMCA in 1853. That was the Twelfth Street YMCA in Washington, D.C., later named YMCA Anthony Bowen and designated a National Historic Landmark. Inspired by his friend William Chauncey Langdon, founder of the YMCA of the City of Washington, Bowen was committed to the advancement of African-Americans in social, educational, and religious respects. Bowen’s YMCA grew out of his efforts to organize the African-American community of Washington D.C. In 1839, he sponsored "The Colored Peoples Meeting House," a meeting space for the free African-Americans of the city. In 1847 he opened a Sunday evening school for free men where they studied reading, writing, and the bible. For nearly the first 40 years after its founding in 1853, the “Colored” YMCA existed independent of the white YMCA in Washington, and their activities were restricted to meetings in rented space, donated rooms, and members’ living rooms. With determination and dedication, YMCA Anthony Bowen was reorganized as a branch of the YMCA of the City of Washington in 1905. Bowen, the first African-American employee of the U.S. Patent Office, was also instrumental in founding St. Paul AME Church.