Today in Wheeling History: June 21 — The YWCA Blue Triangle Branch, serving Wheeling’s African American women and girls, officially opened at 1041 Chapline Street (1921).
The YWCA Blue Triangle Branch opened on June 21, 1921, at 1041 Chapline Street as Wheeling’s first dedicated YWCA facility for African American women and girls during the era of segregation. Its creation followed national YWCA policies that required separate branches for Black and white women, but it also reflected the determination of Wheeling’s Black community to secure safe, educational, and social spaces. Early leaders included Mrs. Sarah Robinson, Mrs. Mindel, Mrs. Mary Banks, and Miss Mary L. McMechen, who worked with the central YWCA to establish programming and secure funding. Escobeda Sarreals, appointed executive director in April 1921, organized Girl Reserve clubs at Lincoln School and helped shape the branch’s early mission.
The Blue Triangle quickly became a cornerstone of Black civic life. It offered classes in sewing, typing, crafts, dramatics, folk dancing, and photography, while also providing room registries, job placement assistance, and interracial dialogue programs. Its committees—Inter-racial, World Fellowship, Education, Hospitality, and Girl Reserve/Y-Teen—reflected both local needs and national YWCA priorities. The branch moved to 1035 Chapline Street in 1926 and later to 108 12th Street in 1943, continuing to serve generations of Black women and girls. After the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, the Blue Triangle reintegrated with the main YWCA at 1100 Chapline Street in June 1956, ending its separate existence but leaving a lasting legacy of empowerment, community leadership, and social progress in Wheeling.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library – YWCA Blue Triangle Branch (https://tinyurl.com/2u6cdudr), Ohio County Public Library – YWCA Blue Triangle Branch Records Finding Aid (https://tinyurl.com/49fbkykh), Weelunk – The Blue Triangle Branch of the YWCA (https://tinyurl.com/3zuxwtjd), Weelunk – Adventures in the Archives: The YWCA Blue Triangle Collection (https://tinyurl.com/5d9vcjp3), National Trust Community Investment Corporation – YWCA Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/4va9acsp), Flickr - Ohio County Public Library - Blue Triangle (https://tinyurl.com/4adujz7z)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Google Maps
The YWCA Blue Triangle Branch opened on June 21, 1921, at 1041 Chapline Street as Wheeling’s first dedicated YWCA facility for African American women and girls during the era of segregation. Its creation followed national YWCA policies that required separate branches for Black and white women, but it also reflected the determination of Wheeling’s Black community to secure safe, educational, and social spaces. Early leaders included Mrs. Sarah Robinson, Mrs. Mindel, Mrs. Mary Banks, and Miss Mary L. McMechen, who worked with the central YWCA to establish programming and secure funding. Escobeda Sarreals, appointed executive director in April 1921, organized Girl Reserve clubs at Lincoln School and helped shape the branch’s early mission.
The Blue Triangle quickly became a cornerstone of Black civic life. It offered classes in sewing, typing, crafts, dramatics, folk dancing, and photography, while also providing room registries, job placement assistance, and interracial dialogue programs. Its committees—Inter-racial, World Fellowship, Education, Hospitality, and Girl Reserve/Y-Teen—reflected both local needs and national YWCA priorities. The branch moved to 1035 Chapline Street in 1926 and later to 108 12th Street in 1943, continuing to serve generations of Black women and girls. After the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, the Blue Triangle reintegrated with the main YWCA at 1100 Chapline Street in June 1956, ending its separate existence but leaving a lasting legacy of empowerment, community leadership, and social progress in Wheeling.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library – YWCA Blue Triangle Branch (https://tinyurl.com/2u6cdudr), Ohio County Public Library – YWCA Blue Triangle Branch Records Finding Aid (https://tinyurl.com/49fbkykh), Weelunk – The Blue Triangle Branch of the YWCA (https://tinyurl.com/3zuxwtjd), Weelunk – Adventures in the Archives: The YWCA Blue Triangle Collection (https://tinyurl.com/5d9vcjp3), National Trust Community Investment Corporation – YWCA Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/4va9acsp), Flickr - Ohio County Public Library - Blue Triangle (https://tinyurl.com/4adujz7z)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Google Maps
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