Camp Eagle Island
Encyclopedia
Camp Eagle Island, also known as Eagle Island Camp or simply EIC, is a resident summer camp
located on Eagle Island in Upper Saranac Lake
in New York
’s Adirondack
region and operated by the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, part of Girl Scouts of the USA
. The camp was not opened during summers 2009 and 2010 and ACA accreditation has been dropped. The Council voted to sell the camp at a board meeting on October 11th, 2010, and its future status as a Girl Scout camp is now uncertain. The Friends of Eagle Island, Inc. has organized and become a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The group is working to raise money and hopes to purchase the property so that they can preserve the historic property, keep the beautiful site open to the public, and especially so that Eagle Island might continue fulfilling its mission of serving youth.
The camp occupies buildings originally built in 1899 as a summer retreat for New York Governor and United States Vice-President Levi Morton and designed by noted architect William L. Coulter
. The mainland camp now known as Pine Ledge was originally a part of the Morton Great Camp
. Camp Eagle Island was included in a multiple property submission for listing on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1986, was listed there in 1987, and was named a National Historic Landmark
in 2004.
Camp Eagle Island has been a Girl Scout camp since 1938, when the Graves family of Orange, New Jersey
, gave the island to the Maplewood
-South Orange Girl Scout Council. In time that council became the Girl Scout Council of Greater Essex County, which merged with a Hudson County council in the late 1990s. The new council, Girl Scouts Heart of NJ, merges councils from Hudson, Essex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon, southern Warren and parts of Middlesex counties.
When operating as a residential camp, Eagle Island offers sailing
, canoeing
, swimming, hiking
, campcraft, and various crafts. The camp has many traditions, including the singing of particular songs and a sequence of evening activities during each two-week camp session that includes staff introductions and a final night campfire and ice cream sundae party. Facilities include a large dining hall, a modern shower house, a recently renovated boathouse.
The camp has a capacity of about 140 campers. The camp season, for children ages 8 through 16, ran from early July to mid-August. There were special events such as Work Weekends, Women's Weekend (a camp-like experience for adult women), and Family Camp.
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
located on Eagle Island in Upper Saranac Lake
Upper Saranac Lake
Upper Saranac Lake is one of three connected lakes, part of the Saranac River, in the towns of Santa Clara and Harrietstown, near the village of Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks in northern New York. Upper Saranac Lake is the sixth largest lake in the Adirondacks. With Middle Saranac Lake and...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
’s Adirondack
Adirondack
__notoc__Adirondack may refer to:*Adirondack Mountains, *Adirondack County, New York, a proposed county in New York...
region and operated by the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, part of Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
. The camp was not opened during summers 2009 and 2010 and ACA accreditation has been dropped. The Council voted to sell the camp at a board meeting on October 11th, 2010, and its future status as a Girl Scout camp is now uncertain. The Friends of Eagle Island, Inc. has organized and become a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The group is working to raise money and hopes to purchase the property so that they can preserve the historic property, keep the beautiful site open to the public, and especially so that Eagle Island might continue fulfilling its mission of serving youth.
The camp occupies buildings originally built in 1899 as a summer retreat for New York Governor and United States Vice-President Levi Morton and designed by noted architect William L. Coulter
William L. Coulter
William Lincoln Coulter was an architect who came to Saranac Lake, New York in the spring of 1896 in an effort to cure his tuberculosis, and stayed to design some of the finest Adirondack Great Camps and Cure Cottages in the area...
. The mainland camp now known as Pine Ledge was originally a part of the Morton Great Camp
Great Camps
Great camps refer to the grandiose family compounds of cabins that were built in the latter half of the nineteenth century on lakes in the Adirondacks such as Spitfire Lake and Rainbow Lake. The camps were summer homes for the wealthy, where they could relax, host or attend parties, and enjoy the...
. Camp Eagle Island was included in a multiple property submission for listing on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986, was listed there in 1987, and was named a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 2004.
Camp Eagle Island has been a Girl Scout camp since 1938, when the Graves family of Orange, New Jersey
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange is a city and township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 30,134...
, gave the island to the Maplewood
Maplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 23,867.-History:...
-South Orange Girl Scout Council. In time that council became the Girl Scout Council of Greater Essex County, which merged with a Hudson County council in the late 1990s. The new council, Girl Scouts Heart of NJ, merges councils from Hudson, Essex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon, southern Warren and parts of Middlesex counties.
When operating as a residential camp, Eagle Island offers sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, swimming, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, campcraft, and various crafts. The camp has many traditions, including the singing of particular songs and a sequence of evening activities during each two-week camp session that includes staff introductions and a final night campfire and ice cream sundae party. Facilities include a large dining hall, a modern shower house, a recently renovated boathouse.
The camp has a capacity of about 140 campers. The camp season, for children ages 8 through 16, ran from early July to mid-August. There were special events such as Work Weekends, Women's Weekend (a camp-like experience for adult women), and Family Camp.