OUR HISTORY
Join us in 2024 as we celebrate 75 years of ministry!
Camp Allegheny was started when the Allegheny Conference of the United Brethren Church purchased a 101.75 acre farm for $4,000 in 1944. During the summers of 1945-1947, work camps consisting of volunteer clergy and laypersons did site preparation work. The first building completed was V-shaped and consisted of a kitchen, a dining area, and a meeting area. Six cabins were constructed with surplus army barracks from World War II. Over the next few years, 12 additional cabins were added, many from surplus army barracks as well.
The grounds were dedicated on August 8, 1948 and the first summer camping season was held in 1949 and ran for 6 weeks that summer. A 40x100 foot swimming pool and bathhouse was added in 1951 and has been in continuous use every summer since then. During the 1960's and 1970's, the original cabins were replaced by lodges so that the facilities could be used year round. Over the years additional property has been purchased to add for the expansion of the program and the ministry. A large assembly building, the Camp Center, was erected in 1954 and renovated in 1988. It contains meeting rooms and an auditorium.
One additional purchase, The Williamson Farm, added a house and a barn to the camp. The barn houses the camp's horses that are a part of the Camp Allegheny Christian Wrangler Program (CACW) that began in 2008. This permitted the programming of horse and pony events to increase from five to eleven weeks and allowed for horses to be available for riding year-round.
At the top of the hill, there is a large picnic area, a football/soccer field, and a tent and trailer area with bathhouse facilities. Throughout the property, there are trails that are maintained for riding, hiking, and hayrides.
In 2004, the new sports/dining center, The Heartwood Center, was dedicated. It houses a full-size gymnasium, shower rooms, a large dining room, and a kitchen. The old dining hall, Acorn, is now home to the game room.
Campers are encouraged to explore creation in a safe, secure environment. For many, this is a first-time experience to see wildlife in its natural setting, to interact and live with people of different races, cultures, and ethnicity, and to feel love. Truly, the greatest events in Camp Allegheny’s history often go unnoticed and un-hailed by all but God as individuals connect or reconnect with their maker, Savior, and Lord.
A Trip Through Our History…
You can read the following articles to learn more about Camp Allegheny’s articles through the years! We will be adding a new article each month during this year to help celebrate our 75th year of ministry.
