Our History

For more than 85 years, Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center has helped individuals and families lead healthy, happy and productive lives. Founded as the YWCA in 1933 and renamed in 1994 to best reflect our services, Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center has called the old blue house at 303 Walnut Avenue home since 1944.

Built in the 1920’s by Salvator and Frances Bagnell Fachutar, the couple built 303 Walnut as a combination home and music studio. It became known as the largest music house between San Francisco and Los Angeles. They also manufactured perfume on the property to support their love of music with additional income. In 1944, Mrs. Fachutar sold the house to the Santa Cruz YWCA. The Y Women including Mrs. Fred McPherson, Edith Hinds, Mabel Byrne and Bertha Adams laid the foundation for 50 years of service to the Santa Cruz Community including “Club 303” (a night club for teens), the Gay Troubadours (the first all boys club sponsored by a YWCA), and multiple programs for women and girls of all races and cultures.

In 1994, the YWCA left the national Y organization and became the Walnut Avenue Women’s Center. The change was motivated by the desire of the board to expand services to “battered women.” In 2015, Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center (Walnut Avenue) updated our name and logo to further highlight our dedication to serving entire families. Walnut Avenue has grown from a small organization with ten staff members to a thriving Family and Women’s Center with over 25 staff and several programs providing support and services to thousands of people per year.