Young Men's Institute Building
Young Men's Institute Building
Young Men's Institute Building
Young Men's Institute Building
Asheville, NC 28801
Monday - Saturday: 10:00a - 5:00p
Young Men's Institute Building, also known as the YMI Building, is a historic meeting hall located in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1892 Mr. Isaac Dickson and Dr. Stephens approached George Vanderbilt about providing an institution for the black construction workers employed at the Biltmore Estate to improve the moral fiber of the black male through education focusing on social, cultural, business and religious life. George Vanderbilt agreed to construct the building and construction began in 1892 and was completed in 1893.
It is a 2 1/2-story, pebbledash coated masonry building with brick, stone, and wood accents. The YMI building housed shops, residence rooms, meeting rooms, and a wide variety of functions that served the African-American community of Asheville. The multi-use building was the center for social activity in the community where it supported professional offices, a public library and the YMI Orchestra.
Today, the Young Men’s Institute (YMI) is one of the nation’s oldest African American institutions in America.
