Lindsay Young Downtown YMCA

Completed in 1929 and named in honor of a local attorney and donor, the Lindsay Young YMCA is the third-oldest remaining YMCA branch in the United States. The YMCA was established in London in 1844 and soon spread to the United States. The Knoxville YMCA dates back to 1854 when it was established by Second Presbyterian Church. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 for its architecture and impact on the community. It continues to operate as a YMCA.

When it was completed in 1929, the building became the fourth location of the YMCA in Knoxville. Architecture firm Barber and McMurry designed it in the Mediterranean Revival style, although it incorporates elements of other styles. The building resembles an early Italian palazzo and features arched windows and entrances, two fourth story loggias, and projecting two-story bays. The building surrounds a courtyard as well.

In its early years, the YMCA was focused on promoting Christianity. It held monthly meetings to discuss religious topics and a librarian began collecting books to encourage Bible study and education. During the Civil War, the YMCA (in Knoxville) dissolved but it was reestablished in the 1890s in the T.E. Burn building on the corner of Market Street and Wall Avenue. In 1900, the YMCA moved to a former depot then to a former hotel in 1906, where it remained until moving into the present building in 1929. An addition was built in 1968. The upper floors, which used to be the men's temporary residence, are now condominiums. Noted nationally known conservationist Ernest Dickman (1910-1998) lived in the building for many years beginning in 1934.

"605 W. Church Ave. • Knoxville YMCA." Knox Heritage. Retrieved from the Web Archive on August 28, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20130429020511/http://www.knoxheritage.org/downtown-walking-tour-46.

Krawitz, Robin & Holli Eckert. "Knoxville YMCA Building." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 17, 1983. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/0ef4c8ad-b883-411f-b3b4-1b280e75091b.