Camp Olmsted (New York)
Encyclopedia
Camp Olmsted is a summer camp
ing facility in Cornwall on Hudson, New York
, operated by the Five Points Mission, a Methodist
organization. It is located along Bayview Avenue, NY 218
, near Storm King Mountain.
It was founded in 1901 when the mission, which had been working to improve conditions for residents of the eponymous Manhattan
slum
(depicted in the Martin Scorsese
film Gangs of New York
) since 1848. At the turn of the century, they realized children from the immigrant
families they were helping needed a place to get away from the city during the summer. Sarah and John Olmsted donated the 21-acre (8 ha) parcel that was originally known as the Olmsted Fresh Air Home. Campers would take the Hudson River
Day Liner from the city to Cornwall and then proceed to the camp.
In 1966 the New York City Society took a role in operating the camp, which, when three cabins were winterized
, allowed for year-round operation. The camp was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982, and accredited
by the American Camp Association
two years later. The addition of two adjoining properties in 1998 brought the facility to its current 76-acre (30 ha) size. Today the camp runs four 12-day sessions for city children in the summer, and religious retreats year-round.
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....
ing facility in Cornwall on Hudson, 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...
, operated by the Five Points Mission, a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
organization. It is located along Bayview Avenue, NY 218
New York State Route 218
New York State Route 218 is a state highway located within Orange County, New York, in the United States. It loops off U.S. Route 9W to run closer to the Hudson River between Highland Falls and Cornwall-on-Hudson. North of Highland Falls, it is briefly concurrent with...
, near Storm King Mountain.
It was founded in 1901 when the mission, which had been working to improve conditions for residents of the eponymous Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
(depicted in the Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
film Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York
Gangs of New York is a 2002 historical film set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of New York City. It was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian, and Kenneth Lonergan. The film was inspired by Herbert Asbury's 1928 nonfiction book, The Gangs of New...
) since 1848. At the turn of the century, they realized children from the immigrant
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
families they were helping needed a place to get away from the city during the summer. Sarah and John Olmsted donated the 21-acre (8 ha) parcel that was originally known as the Olmsted Fresh Air Home. Campers would take the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
Day Liner from the city to Cornwall and then proceed to the camp.
In 1966 the New York City Society took a role in operating the camp, which, when three cabins were winterized
Winterization
Winterization refers to the process of preparing something for an upcoming winter.The term is most commonly used in respect to aquatic play features, fountains, and the like, which must be drained and sealed up so that water inside does not freeze, causing breakage of the pipes in the fountain, or...
, allowed for year-round operation. The camp was added to 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 1982, and accredited
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
by the American Camp Association
American Camp Association
The American Camp Association , formerly known as the American Camping Association, is a 501 nonprofit that serves the United States. It is an association for camp owners, camp professionals and others interested in summer camps and similar camp programs.ACA runs an accreditation criterion for camps...
two years later. The addition of two adjoining properties in 1998 brought the facility to its current 76-acre (30 ha) size. Today the camp runs four 12-day sessions for city children in the summer, and religious retreats year-round.