The YWCA at 5820 Germantown Ave once stood as a vibrant community hub, its hallways filled with activity. But by 2012, after two devastating fires and years of abandonment, it had become something else entirely: a shell of memory, caught in a cycle of neglect and silence.

The damage was overwhelming. The third and fourth floors, in particular, were in ruins. Damage to the roof left the building open. Elegant wood floors were scorched beyond recognition. Pottery wheels, gym equipment, even art supplies were left scattered. In one photo we see an empty pool in the basement. In another, a sign for the Germantown Pottery Guild sits abandoned on the fourth floor. These inside photographs, taken in 2012 by photographers John Webster and Vince Herbe, reveal the aftermath of not just fire, but a failure of city agencies to protect a space that once served generations.

But what haunts the most is what was left behind: not just furniture and file cabinets, but records, photo frames, artwork, remnants of community life once thriving in this building.

In 2006, Philadelphia’s Redevelopment Authority (RDA, now called PRA) gave Germantown Settlement a $1.3 million loan to buy the Y, despite knowing the organization was in dire financial shape. The doors never reopened. Not a single dollar was repaid. When Germantown Settlement filed for bankruptcy in 2010—right after the first fire—the RDA said they would take the building out of bankruptcy and put it up for sale. But nothing happened for three more years. It wasn’t until 2014 that a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued. In the meantime, the building deteriorated further. After the 2012 fire, the Department of Licenses and Inspections declared the building “imminently dangerous”. Still, the structure sat open and unsecured. At a 2015 community meeting, RDA director Brian Abernathy said they had no funds to clean out or stabilize it, and that demolition might be necessary. That’s when residents stepped in. Emaleigh Doley and Yvonne Haskins launched a petition to save the Y. Councilwoman Cindy Bass eventually found over $1 million to seal and stabilize the site, a process that wasn’t completed until 2016. The photos that John and Vince captured preserve this difficult history. Their images don’t just document destruction; they tell a story of what happens when care is withdrawn and responsibility is avoided. Looking at what’s left inside the Y, charred rafters, pottery wheels, forgotten archives—we are reminded of how much was lost. Not just a building, but a history of service, learning, and community support. It’s a tragedy that demands to be remembered and rectified as much as possible.

Acknowledgments: Photos by John Webster (2012), Vince Herbe (2012) and Jill Saull (2015). We thank them for capturing this vital record and for their generosity in allowing us to share it.