Finley's Gym
I spent two years, beginning in November, 1999, photographing at Finley's Gym, a Washington DC boxing landmark for over 40 years. Established in 1960 by owner Jim Finley, the gym was uniquely situated over an auto repair shop in the largely residential Capitol Hill neighborhood. It was claimed that Mr Finley had not
started the gym seeking profit, but rather, simply as a place for local fighters to train, and youngsters, a refuge from the streets.
On a typical weekday afternoon, a visitor to the gym could expect to find a professional or two training for an upcoming fight, several young, aspiring fighters learning the finer points of their craft, an old timer recalling days of past glory to anyone who will listen, and a gaggle of various spectators and other characters.
One such regular visitor was an elderly man who was referred to as Bishop Pryor. A gentle man, I don't recall ever hearing him speak, but he was always ready with some slight of hand card trick. I later learned that his real name was Robert Pryor, Jr., and that he was the Pastor and Founder of the Church of Love of Washington DC.
Amidst the activity, Mr. Finley could always be found at the center of it all. Respected for his no-nonsense demeanor and straight talk, he would frequently spend long amounts of time dispensing needed advice, either in person, or on one of the seemingly endless string of phone calls that he would make and receive over the course of a day.
As real estate prices in the city skyrocketed, the Gym felt the squeeze in the form of rising rental rates. Faced with this, and perhaps having grown tired of the daily grind of running a gym, Finley's Gym closed in August, 2001.
Mr. Finley passed away on January 28, 2014. He was 84.
