Camp Atwater
Camp Atwater | |
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Location | Shore Rd., North Brookfield, Massachusetts |
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Coordinates | 42°14′22″N 72°3′0″W / 42.23944°N 72.05000°WCoordinates: 42°14′22″N 72°3′0″W / 42.23944°N 72.05000°W |
Area | 67 acres (27 ha) |
Built | 1921 |
NRHP reference # | 82004477[1] |
Added to NRHP | April 15, 1982 |
Camp Atwater is a summer camp on Shore Road in North Brookfield, Massachusetts. It was established in 1921 on the shores of Lake Lashaway on property donated by Mary Atwater, to provide a summer recreational experience for African-American boys, at a time when summer camps were generally racially segregated. The camp catered primarily to middle- and upper-class African Americans, and drew attendees from up and down the Atlantic coast. Notable attendees include Coleman Young, Clifford Alexander, Jr., and Wayne Budd.[2] The camp was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1] It is now owned and operated by the Urban League of Springfield.
The camp occupies 67 acres (27 ha) of land on the northern shore of Lake Lashaway. Of this, about 50 acres (20 ha) are wooded, while the developed area is mainly located between Shore Road and the lake. The camp owns 325 feet (99 m) of lakeshore, as well as a 3-acre (1.2 ha) island. Most of the camp facilities are organized around a U-shaped drive, and include the main hall, recreation hall, dining hall, and camper cabins. Recreational facilities include a variety of sports fields as well as basketball and tennis courts. There are fourteen camper cabins, housing between 8 and 25 campers in addition to counselors. The oldest building in the camp is White Cabin, which was built about 1760, and is one of two structures that predate the camp's founding. Located just on the north side of Shore Road, it was where the camp's first season of campers were housed.[2]
See also
References
- 1 2 National Park Service (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- 1 2 "MACRIS inventory record for Camp Atwater". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-03-25.