Historic CYO Building, Now a Boxing Gym, Seeks Landmark Status

FALL RIVER --

COMMUNITY -- The Fall River Historical Commission heard a petition Tuesday from Aaron and Samantha Bernardo to place 403 Anawan Street, the former CYO building that now houses Bernardo's Boxing and Fitness, on the city's significant structures list. The Bernardos told commissioners the building, constructed around 1895 and attributed to architect Charles Farnham, was originally home to the Young Men's Irish-American Catholic Total Abstinence and Benevolent Society before later serving as a Catholic Youth Organization facility used for youth programs, athletics and basketball.

The Bernardos said the building today operates as a gymnasium, with USA Boxing records documenting sanctioned boxing activity on site, including a 2025 professional boxing card held at the building. They described ongoing youth programs and athletic training at the gym, along with community events, as a continuation of the property's decades-long role as a gathering place for Fall River youth and families. Commission Chairman Rick Mancini said the board would review the documentation before any further action, noting the panel does not take significant-structures petitions lightly.

Compiled from team and league reports, reader submissions, and local coverage.