Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center Association
The Original Donor of America's First Living War Memorial
The Greatest Memorial to Sacrifice Is an Investment in Future Generations
In 1944, grieving parents and citizens of Coral Gables chose to honor the men and women who served in World War II not with a stone monument, but with something living. They collaborated to raise funds and assemble land to build a youth center devoted to the development, happiness, and well-being of young people and called it America's first "living war memorial." After its construction, the War Memorial Youth Center was given to the City of Coral Gables, on the condition that it would forever be used for the benefit of the Youth of Coral Gables and known by the name "War Memorial Youth Center."
The Association has continued to support the War Memorial Youth Center for more than eight decades, by sponsoring scholarships for children of Coral Gables who otherwise could not attend programming and by monitoring the city's activities to confirm that the center continues to be used for the benefit of Coral Gables youth. Under our organization's watchful eye, the Center continues to serve Coral Gables families through athletics, summer camps, arts programs, fitness activities, and community events, open to residents of every age and background.
OUR MISSION
The Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center was built to honor those who died in service to our country, not with stone, but with a place for children to grow.
Since 1944, the Coral Gables War Memorial Association's mission since 1944 has been to guard the property to make sure it is always known by the name War Memorial Youth Center and that it is used to benefit the youth of Coral Gables, and to support scholarships for young residents of Coral Gables.
The Founding Vision (1944-1945)
The Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center grew from the conviction of a group of civic leaders that the finest tribute to those who served in World War II was not stone, but a living institution devoted to young people. In February 1944, Harry W. Morgenthaler gathered representatives of 22 civic organizations to launch a fundraising campaign targeting $75,000. He was joined by Mrs. Lewis Hall Sr., Paul Brinson, and Mayor Thomas C. Mayes. More than 400 residents volunteered. A 48-lot site on Andalusia Avenue was assembled through donations, purchases, and city assistance, and the facility opened on December 7, 1945, Pearl Harbor Day, with athletics, dances, crafts, and community recreation drawing nearly 1,000 young people a day within months. Soldiers stationed overseas read about it in Stars and Stripes and wrote home in praise. A national recreation expert observed that he knew of no other community with so many hard-working, selfless civic leaders.
Relocation and the Protective Deed (1955-1958)
After more than a decade at the original site, commercial growth and traffic rendered the three-acre Andalusia location impractical. The Association sold the property for $365,000 and purchased nearly five acres adjacent to the University of Miami for $53,000. The new center, designed by architects Watson and Deutschman and built by Miller and Solomon Construction Company, was dedicated on December 7, 1956. A curved memorial wall in turquoise stone bore the names of 1,288 Coral Gables men and women who served in World War II, thirty of whom gave their lives. On July 24, 1958, the Association conveyed the property to the City of Coral Gables through a Special Warranty Deed containing a restrictive covenant requiring that the property remain a War Memorial Youth Center dedicated to the recreation and benefit of Coral Gables youth, with the right of the Association to reclaim ownership if that purpose was ever violated.
Legal Vindication of the Founders' Intent (1968)
A decade after the deed, the restrictive covenant faced its first serious challenge. The City Commission approved plans to demolish Coral Gables Elementary School and proposed constructing a replacement on Youth Center property, entering into a lease that would give the Dade County school system use of the grounds during school hours. The Association filed suit, arguing the proposal violated the 1958 deed. The Circuit Court ruled decisively for the Association, and the Third District Court of Appeal affirmed. The litigation permanently reinforced that the Youth Center was a protected civic trust, not ordinary municipal property subject to redirection at the Commission's discretion.
Growth and Community Identity (1970s-1980s)
The decades that followed cemented the Youth Center's place at the heart of Coral Gables life. Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, judo, and tennis programs drew children from schools across the community. Annual traditions such as the Junior Orange Bowl Parade, arts and crafts classes, and youth sports broadcasts on the Gables City Network wove the Center into the fabric of family life across generations. Many of the children who first came through its doors returned as coaches, counselors, and parents, bringing their own children to the same courts and fields where their own friendships had been formed.
Renovation and Rededication (1990s)
Faced with an aging facility and evolving community needs, the Association and the City undertook a sweeping renovation. On April 19, 1997, the reimagined 58,000-square-foot facility designed by Fullerton Diaz Revuelta reopened, featuring a gymnasium, fitness center, auditorium, dance studio, roller hockey rink, outdoor basketball courts, and expanded public spaces. Two years later, on Pearl Harbor Day 1999, a new War Memorial Garden Monument was unveiled honoring the Coral Gables veterans of World War II, reaffirming that the Youth Center's mission of remembrance and investment in young people remained as vital as the day it opened.
A Legacy Worth Protecting (2000s-Present)
In the decades since renovation, the Youth Center has continued to serve children, families, and adults throughout Coral Gables and surrounding communities as one of the most outstanding youth facilities in the country. New programs and partnerships have extended its reach, while the original memorial wall and deed covenants have remained a constant reminder that the property exists as a gift from the community to its young people, not as a general municipal asset. The Association that the founders established in 1944 remains active, providing scholarship and camp funding and standing as steward of the founders' intent, with the protective reverter clause in the 1958 deed continuing to serve its original purpose: ensuring that what was given for the benefit of Coral Gables youth can never quietly be taken away.
A RECORD THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
Eight decades of service, five state championships, national recognition, and a partnership with one of the world's most respected soccer academies.
80+
Years Serving Coral Gables
Founded December 7, 1945
1,288
WWII Veterans Honored
Including 30 who gave their lives
5
State Soccer Championships
Boys: 2011, 2013, 2014 · Girls: 2010, 2019
58K
Square Foot Facility
Renovated 1997 by Fullerton Diaz Revuelta