A Brief History of Makemie Woods
The history of camping ministry in this Presbytery actually pre-dates Makemie Woods. In the >50's, the Presbytery of Norfolk held summer camp at the Jamestown 4-H center and Camp Hanover and participated in youth conferences held at Massanetta Springs. In 1959, the Christian Education committee reported APresbytery is at a serious disadvantage not having its own camp site...@ and a search culminated with the purchase in 1962 of these 300 acres for a mere $34,000.
After 1200 volunteer hours and $15,000 in materials, the camp hosted its first season of campers in 1964. In 1965, Mr. T.R. Triplett was hired as Camp Manager, and with the help of hundreds of volunteers, the cabins, dining hall, storage buildings, and family campground were built. In April 1966, after a Acanvass@ was held for possible names, Presbytery=s Camp, Conference and Retreat Center was officially named Makemie Woods, for the work of Francis Makemie in our Presbytery during the colonial era. In 1967, Makemie Woods hosted its first Presbytery meeting. At that meeting, the camp scholarship fund was established to make possible participation of children from the inner cities. This same year marked the beginning of the partnership with Camp Jordan for children with Diabetes, which continues today.
In 1968, Interstate 64 lopped off 17 acres of the Northeast corner of the property, and created what is now the camp=s Northern boundary. That same year saw the departure of the camp=s first of many ACaravans@ to Mexico, a program in which older High School and college aged youth drove to Mexico for as much as three weeks of mission service. In 1970 a long-range plan was approved , which included a pool, a picnic shelter, and a lodge for retreats. All these were realized later in that decade, and Laurel Hall was built in 1978.
Camp Jordan felt a strong need for a Astate of the art@ infirmary to better meet the needs of its campers, and in 1981 Jordan Lodge was built, with the mortgage paid by Camp Jordan. The summer camp program blossomed, reaching a high of 354 at that time of campers in 1986.
The newly formed Presbytery of Eastern Virginia in 1990 to convened a task force to study the future possibilities for the camp. While camper enrollment had fallen to 270, and retreat groups were severely diminished due to the Gulf War, this task force found enormous support in the churches for the ministry at Makemie Woods. In 1992, the Presbytery called its first fulltime camp director. The summer program quickly grew, reaching a high of 517 campers, and retreat use increased substantially.
A long-range plan for Makemie Woods was adopted in 1995, that called for the construction of an accessible conference facility, and the expansion of the recreation and summer camp facilities. Proposed drawings for these facilities were presented in 2000. Careful feasibility studies later indicated that more cultivation and education among our parishioners about Makemie Woods and the vision for creating a facility that would benefit adults and well as children would result in better stewardship and fundraising efforts. The first campaign raised $1.2 million dollars. A much-needed maintenance facility was constructed in 2002, and the campaign paid for architectural plans, engineering, surveys etc that were necessary to plan the adult facility. A task force continues to work diligently towards the best use of the nearly $700,000 on hand towards accomplishing the campaign’s intent of providing adult facilities.
The future for Makemie Woods is bright, as a growing number of children, churches, and other groups are finding the retreat and camp facilities to be a spiritual home away from home. In addition to the thriving summer program, Makemie Woods annually hosts a camp for kids in grief, and a regional Alateen conference. Monthly gatherings of seniors for a lunch program called “First Friday,” the addition of an observatory named for Henry Brinton ( a former member of Williamsburg Presbyterian Church) in 2008, and the opening of the ecologically-friendly EcoEternity Forest alternative burial program continue to expand the Makemie Woods ministries to the larger community.
After 1200 volunteer hours and $15,000 in materials, the camp hosted its first season of campers in 1964. In 1965, Mr. T.R. Triplett was hired as Camp Manager, and with the help of hundreds of volunteers, the cabins, dining hall, storage buildings, and family campground were built. In April 1966, after a Acanvass@ was held for possible names, Presbytery=s Camp, Conference and Retreat Center was officially named Makemie Woods, for the work of Francis Makemie in our Presbytery during the colonial era. In 1967, Makemie Woods hosted its first Presbytery meeting. At that meeting, the camp scholarship fund was established to make possible participation of children from the inner cities. This same year marked the beginning of the partnership with Camp Jordan for children with Diabetes, which continues today.
In 1968, Interstate 64 lopped off 17 acres of the Northeast corner of the property, and created what is now the camp=s Northern boundary. That same year saw the departure of the camp=s first of many ACaravans@ to Mexico, a program in which older High School and college aged youth drove to Mexico for as much as three weeks of mission service. In 1970 a long-range plan was approved , which included a pool, a picnic shelter, and a lodge for retreats. All these were realized later in that decade, and Laurel Hall was built in 1978.
Camp Jordan felt a strong need for a Astate of the art@ infirmary to better meet the needs of its campers, and in 1981 Jordan Lodge was built, with the mortgage paid by Camp Jordan. The summer camp program blossomed, reaching a high of 354 at that time of campers in 1986.
The newly formed Presbytery of Eastern Virginia in 1990 to convened a task force to study the future possibilities for the camp. While camper enrollment had fallen to 270, and retreat groups were severely diminished due to the Gulf War, this task force found enormous support in the churches for the ministry at Makemie Woods. In 1992, the Presbytery called its first fulltime camp director. The summer program quickly grew, reaching a high of 517 campers, and retreat use increased substantially.
A long-range plan for Makemie Woods was adopted in 1995, that called for the construction of an accessible conference facility, and the expansion of the recreation and summer camp facilities. Proposed drawings for these facilities were presented in 2000. Careful feasibility studies later indicated that more cultivation and education among our parishioners about Makemie Woods and the vision for creating a facility that would benefit adults and well as children would result in better stewardship and fundraising efforts. The first campaign raised $1.2 million dollars. A much-needed maintenance facility was constructed in 2002, and the campaign paid for architectural plans, engineering, surveys etc that were necessary to plan the adult facility. A task force continues to work diligently towards the best use of the nearly $700,000 on hand towards accomplishing the campaign’s intent of providing adult facilities.
The future for Makemie Woods is bright, as a growing number of children, churches, and other groups are finding the retreat and camp facilities to be a spiritual home away from home. In addition to the thriving summer program, Makemie Woods annually hosts a camp for kids in grief, and a regional Alateen conference. Monthly gatherings of seniors for a lunch program called “First Friday,” the addition of an observatory named for Henry Brinton ( a former member of Williamsburg Presbyterian Church) in 2008, and the opening of the ecologically-friendly EcoEternity Forest alternative burial program continue to expand the Makemie Woods ministries to the larger community.
