DALTON, Mass. - The Dalton Community Recreation Association is celebrating their 100th anniversary with weeklong programming starting Monday, Nov. 6.

What You Need To Know

  • The Dalton CRA first opened on Nov. 9, 1923 and now they're celebrating 100 years

  • The Winthrop Crane Community has a pool, fitness center, gymnasium, group exercise studio, racquetball courts and conference rooms among other amenities on the grounds

  • The Dalton CRA also hosts the Dalton Youth Center

  • On Thursday, for the 100th anniversary, the CRA will host an open house from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

From the gym to the pool, director Alison Peters said not a lot has changed at the Dalton CRA since opening a century ago, but it continues to welcome new generations of members.

“The footprint of the CRA is pretty much the way it was 100 years ago,” Peters said. “[The pool] was here in 1923 and I've been told that it's the oldest indoor pool in Massachusetts. I don't have that officially. As it turns out, the pool continues to be the most popular piece of the CRA. We get over 30,000 visitors every year, and that includes everyone from, you know, little toddlers and parents up to the senior citizens.”

“Years ago, I played tennis, I took tennis lessons here and my children took swimming lessons here," CRA member Pam Dwyer said. "So, I have utilized the CRA for different things. But now I've been playing here for about five years.”

As the CRA celebrates its 100th anniversary next week, Peters said the secret to their success is shown in how people like Dwyer build relationships.

“We play here Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.," Dwyer said. "And usually there's 10 or 12 of us. We come here just for fun with each other and have a little bit of exercise and socialization.”

The CRA plans to keep serving the community they’ve built - hopefully another 100 years.

“We're here, we run programs, recreational, cultural, educational and social programs," Peters said. "But underlying all of that is an opportunity for people to meet and get to know each other and share and just feel that sense of belonging and sense of community. We couldn't be here 100 years later without this community and everything that they gave us.”

Information about the weeklong 100th anniversary celebration can be found on their website.