To many, the word camp goes with the words fire and counselor. But to New Englanders, it’s a whole different concept. Around this time of year, you’ll hear many New Englanders announce, “We’re going up to camp for the month.” This could mean a trip of anywhere from 200 miles to 200 yards. A camp, […]
To many, the word camp goes with the words fire and counselor. But to New Englanders, it’s a whole different concept.
Around this time of year, you’ll hear many New Englanders announce, “We’re going up to camp for the month.” This could mean a trip of anywhere from 200 miles to 200 yards. A camp, in New England, is a small, seasonal dwelling — not a second home, but an antidote to home. While camps tend to be highly idiosyncratic, most are variations on a few basic themes.
Understanding New England Camps | Yankee Magazine, August 1995 By the ShoreName: “Spindrift”
Typical diversions: Swimming, sunbathing
Pests: greenheads
Chore you don’t get around to: fix broken beach chair
Specialty of the house: lobster
Inescapable problem: noisy neighbors
On Golden PondName: “Whispering Pines”
Typical diversions: Swimming, sailing
Pests: mosquitoes
Chore you don’t get around to: rebuild old dock
Specialty of the house: sautéed trout
Inescapable problem: friends who “just happened by” with swimsuits
On Non-Golden PondName: “Dunroamin’ ”
Typical diversions: fishing, puttering
Pests: leeches
Chore you don’t get around to: fix leaky rowboat
Specialty of the house: fried perch
Inescapable problem: kids on Jet Skis
Mountain RetreatName: “Shangri-La”
Typical diversions: hiking, board games
Pests: blackflies
Chore you don’t get around to: replace moribund gas refrigerator
Specialty of the house: sweet corn
Inescapable problem: access road washes out every spring
BackwoodsName: “Ta-Pah-Nu-Keg”
Typical diversions: shooting at empty bottles, card games
Pests: varmints
Chore you don’t get around to: splitting unsplittable pieces of firewood
Specialty of the house: defrosted deer
Inescapable problem: privy needs to be moved
Excerpt from “’Understanding Camps,” Yankee Magazine, August 1995.
My family built “the camp” around 1932 on Lead Mine Lake, in Sturbridge, MA. In the early years, kerosene lanterns and a roaring fire provided lighting. Then, electricty arrived and in the early 1960’s a hot air furnace was installed allowing us to open in early Spring and now close in late October not Labor Day! Water came directly from the lake and was pumped in. Each Fall, the house was closed down, the dock was removed, the pipes were drained and winterized. Around Easter, the camp was re-opened and my Rhode Island based family spent 60 years enjoying that tranquil get away. Sadly, the camp which was by then in need of a well and a new septic system was sold, older family members had died, but our fond memories live on forever.
I hear that Paul. We purchased a camp on a small pond in NH and were incredibly fortunate that the prior owner left the camp journal. It documents a wonderful family’s journey back to the late 50s, and how resilient they were snowshowing in to camp in winter, and fetching water from a nearby spring. We still have no running water and electricity, and to me, it should stay that way. I hope someday my grandchildren, as yet to be born, will see the pleasure in a life simply lived. We’ll see. We keep up the journal and record the memories, so that one day someone else will read them and give the camp yet another new life.
Living in northeastern CT, we just “discovered” the Lead Mine area. My husband and I fell in love with the beautiful trails, ponds, etc….and the interesting history. Your family is very fortunate to have spent so much time there.
I grew up in Winthrop but remember going to our “camp”. The “camp” was high on a hill overlooking Dudley Pond just west of Boston. My great grandmother purchased the camp in 1925 and the family sold it about 1940/41. I have always remembered being in the “camp”, the long stairs down to the pond, the smell of the kerosene stove. Since I had not been there from the time I was 3 I hadn’t thought too much about it. My Mom died in 2002 and then I began searching her old photo albums finding countless pictures of “Camp Winthrop”. This started me on a search for any indication that the camp still existed. Thanks to leads from several kind souls I found our camp. Still sitting on the top of the hill looking down at the pond.
Thanks to the lady who now owns it, the camp has been winterized and remodeled but there is no mistaking the roof line and many other features. I want to get back to Boston to actually see it again. But my dearest wish would be to be able to tell my Mom…..I found Camp Winthrop !!!!
My family built “the camp” around 1932 on Lead Mine Lake, in Sturbridge, MA. In the early years, kerosene lanterns and a roaring fire provided lighting. Then, electricty arrived and in the early 1960’s a hot air furnace was installed allowing us to open in early Spring and now close in late October not Labor Day! Water came directly from the lake and was pumped in. Each Fall, the house was closed down, the dock was removed, the pipes were drained and winterized. Around Easter, the camp was re-opened and my Rhode Island based family spent 60 years enjoying that tranquil get away. Sadly, the camp which was by then in need of a well and a new septic system was sold, older family members had died, but our fond memories live on forever.
I hear that Paul. We purchased a camp on a small pond in NH and were incredibly fortunate that the prior owner left the camp journal. It documents a wonderful family’s journey back to the late 50s, and how resilient they were snowshowing in to camp in winter, and fetching water from a nearby spring. We still have no running water and electricity, and to me, it should stay that way. I hope someday my grandchildren, as yet to be born, will see the pleasure in a life simply lived. We’ll see. We keep up the journal and record the memories, so that one day someone else will read them and give the camp yet another new life.
Living in northeastern CT, we just “discovered” the Lead Mine area. My husband and I fell in love with the beautiful trails, ponds, etc….and the interesting history. Your family is very fortunate to have spent so much time there.
I grew up in Winthrop but remember going to our “camp”. The “camp” was high on a hill overlooking Dudley Pond just west of Boston. My great grandmother purchased the camp in 1925 and the family sold it about 1940/41. I have always remembered being in the “camp”, the long stairs down to the pond, the smell of the kerosene stove. Since I had not been there from the time I was 3 I hadn’t thought too much about it. My Mom died in 2002 and then I began searching her old photo albums finding countless pictures of “Camp Winthrop”. This started me on a search for any indication that the camp still existed. Thanks to leads from several kind souls I found our camp. Still sitting on the top of the hill looking down at the pond.
Thanks to the lady who now owns it, the camp has been winterized and remodeled but there is no mistaking the roof line and many other features. I want to get back to Boston to actually see it again. But my dearest wish would be to be able to tell my Mom…..I found Camp Winthrop !!!!