1944

The Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City/Washington County was organized in 1944 by the Salvation Army as the Red Shield Boys Club. Nathan Holley was the first Director of the Boys Club. The first facility was located on Main Street upstairs of the Johnson City Press Chronicle building. The Club remained there for one year.

1945 

A new place was found to house the Club. With an increase in membership and a need for more space, the Club moved to the upstairs of the old Kroger & Market Street Drug Store building on West Market Street. Herman Guinn was the Executive Director of the Club from 1946-50 and then moved on to become the Executive Director of the Metro Atlanta Boys Club.

1952

The Executive Director was Red Skelton and he remained the Executive Director until 1962. It was in 1952 when Red Skelton started Little League Baseball in Johnson City with 8 teams that played at Mountain Home baseball field.

Also in 1952, Salvation Army Advisory Board Members Fred Coin and Steward Cannon saw the need for a bigger building with space for a gym and room for program expansion. An old garage building on West Market Street beside the police station was leased and converted into a Boys Club with a gym and more facilities.

1962

Herb Lawson Jr. was selected as the new Executive Director charged with moving the Boys Club forward and addressing the growing needs of the organization and the changes in American society.

1963 

The Red Shields Boys Club merged with the Jackie Robinson Boys Club. In 1969 the Board of Directors decided to separate from the Salvation Army and became a "straight line" operation. They were now affiliated with Boys Clubs of America and operating under its own charter, Board of Directors and officers. The new Board of Directors decided that the present leased facilities were totally inadequate to develop the type of program which Johnson City boys needed. A new facility would enable the Club to serve more boys and do it better. a $450,000 Tomorrow Capital Fund Campaign was launched. The Board of Directors convinced the City Commission to release them a site to construct the new facility. The City Commission and the Boys Club chose a land across from the National Guard Armory for the site of the new facility. It took the board two years to raise the money for the new facility.

1972

The building was finished and moved into.  The new facility served as the center of the Boys Club movement for the entire Washington County area. It was built to accommodate a total membership of 1,000 boys and serve 200 different boys daily. The Club was built with a gymnasium (a second gymnasium was built in 1986), physical fitness area, showers, game room, arts & crafts, library, Club rooms, wood shop, kitchen, swimming pool and administrative offices. The size and layout of the site also provided baseball, softball and football fields for Club and community use.

1976 

The Boys Club was given control of all youth football teams in Johnson City and Washington County. The football field was finished in 1977 and named in honor of John C. Howren, Jr., who was the driving force behind our athletic programs. In 1978 the basement was converted into one of the finest boxing gyms in Northeast Tennessee. The boxing gym was the center of boxing in Washington County until 1996. In May of 1979 the Club was loaned land from the Parks & Recreation Department to construct  two tee-ball/softball fields.

In 1976 Darrell "Pappy" Crowe took over as the Executive Director and "Pappy" remained in this role until 1998. In 1984 with membership climbing and the demand for basketball growing, Board President Bud Willis went to Ed Street, Jr. and got 48 foot by 86 foot metal building donated and architect Ken Ross agreed to donate his services free of charge. In the fall of 1985 the construction of the new gym started.     

A grant was received from IBM to purchase computers and software for our Learning Center. Also in 1985, the Johnson City Optimist Boys Club Youth Park was dedicated and opened for play. In 1988, with a grant from the Levi Straus Foundation the Club was able to light the football field. The City of Johnson City leased the Club more land to add an additional athletic field.

1996

The Boys Club of Johnson City officially changed its name to Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City/Washington County. The Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City/Washington County has gone through quite a few changes throughout the years, and continues to be a tremendous asset to the community in providing a positive place for kids!

2014  

The Boys & Girls Club of Johnson City/Washington County built a fabulous KABOOM playground in September.