A Brief History of the Crispus Attucks Association of York
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Solving Community Problems
Founded in 1931 in the words of Dr. George Bowles as “a character-building organization” with its original focus on children Crispus Attucks of York now serves people of all ages. Children remain a priority. As Bobby Simpson is fond of saying, “we’re all about kids and their education, education, education.”
CA learned how to adapt its programs to meet changing times. In the 1930s and 40s, their activities were primarily recreation and social. By the 1950s they shifted to sports, day care, and career preparation. In the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, CA switched gears to address poverty, employment and training, race relations, as well as internal discord. The 1980s usher in a new era, adding major programs in housing and drug use prevention. The 1990s expanded on the focus of the previous decade plus economic development and financial literacy. By the early 90s CA reached a scale of operation that made a sizable dent in solving community problems.
Over the past 95 years, CA has expanded to a four-block campus that includes nearly 200 buildings. These buildings are more than bricks and mortar. They play an important role in determining what kind of activities and services are provided. Most importantly, these buildings serve as a safe place in a troubled world and provide a symbol to the community.
CA’s first home was a modest building on Oak Lane, formerly a part of York Hospital. In 1944, CA moved to a former church on East Maple Street where they stayed until it and the organization literally almost fell apart. CA pulled itself together and created a grand new center in 1971 on South Duke Street. A new wing was added in 1991.
Additionally, CA renovates hundreds of residential buildings to provide safe and affordable housing for community members. CA also renovates and builds several other commercial properties to provide services to the community. Among these buildings are the Early Learning Center on E. Boundary Avenue, the Himes Motor Company building, Greenway Tech Centre and the Claiborne Health Center on S. George Street.
The newest addition to the CA campus is the History & Culture Center (HCC) located at 45 E. Boundary Avenue. This facility tells the 95-year history of the Crispus Attucks Association while also providing cultural and educational programming. The HCC uses firsthand narratives to tell this history. In the HCC, visitors will see and hear local community members telling their stories.
True to its original focus in 1931, CA continues to keep children as the main priority by providing education with an emphasis on character building in everything that they do. Although there have been a lot of changes over CA’s 95-year history, they have remained true to their core mission and continue to be a community problem solver.
