A three story building housed the YMCA in 1915. When it was built in 1907 the planners decided to try an experiment of having a dormitory in the Y. The thought was that boys or young men who were temporarily in Bloomington for school, college or work, would find living in the Y convenient.
For some years that was the case, but by 1915, the Pantagraph reported that many business men who were not young at all, were finding life at the Y very pleasing indeed. These men made their home at the Y rather permanent and added touches of home to the room they occupied.
When first constructed, the dormitory was only on the third floor, but the rooms were so popular that more were then provided on the second floor. As a source of income, the rooms were probably a good thing for the Y.
Mrs. Anna Thompson was the housemother for the Y and she kept the rooms clean and looked after the needs of the men. There were not meals served, so these men also provided a ready clientele for the restaurants of the town. The YMCA was located at Washington and East Street.