Background photo: Early summer campers arrived by train and completed the trip to camp via horse and carriage. (Photo: Frank.J. Barrett, Jr.)
Camping Begins on Lake Fairlee
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During the early part of the twentieth century, summer camps for children began to be established to meet the needs of parents and children who recognized the desirability and benefits of extended periods in regions of mountains, hills and lakes during the long summer vacations from school. At camp, children could leave the crowded cities and towns behind for a more healthy environment of pure, cooler air and greater freedom from contagious diseases such as polio, diphtheria, etc. prevalent at a time before most preventive inoculations had been developed. Many summer camps began to spring up in the area around and near Lake Fairlee from 1905 to 1921 the surrounding countryside was occupied mostly by farmers with large open fields and pastures. Sheep raising had declined with the increase of wool production in the west and in Australia late in the 19th century. So there was considerable Vermont farm property for sale at low prices.
excerpts from “Early Days of Camping on Lake Fairlee” by Katharine Newcomer Schlichting |
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Chronological History of Lake Fairlee Camps
1906 Camp Billings
1908 Big Pine/Beenadeewin
1910 Shanty Shane/Lake Fairlee Camp/Ohana Family Camp
1911 Camp Quinibeck
1914 Camp Passumpsic
1915 Lochearn Camp for Girls
1915 Camp Aloha Hive
1916 Camp Wyoda/Horizons Day Camp
1921 Camp Neshobe/Norway
1921 Idle Pine
1908 Big Pine/Beenadeewin
1910 Shanty Shane/Lake Fairlee Camp/Ohana Family Camp
1911 Camp Quinibeck
1914 Camp Passumpsic
1915 Lochearn Camp for Girls
1915 Camp Aloha Hive
1916 Camp Wyoda/Horizons Day Camp
1921 Camp Neshobe/Norway
1921 Idle Pine
Currently Active Camps on Lake Fairlee
The Aloha Foundation
The Aloha Foundation is a Vermont-based nonprofit that provides summer camps, family camps, and education programs.
Three of their six main programs are located on Lake Fairlee: Aloha Hive Camp , Horizons Day Camp, and Ohana Family Camp.
Three of their six main programs are located on Lake Fairlee: Aloha Hive Camp , Horizons Day Camp, and Ohana Family Camp.
Aloha HiveFounded 1915. Aloha Hive provides a sleep-away camping experience for girls grades 3-7. The camp facilities were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
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Horizons Day CampFounded 1997. Horizons is a co-ed day camp for ages pre-k through 7th grade. Horizon's is located on the grounds of the former Camp Wyoda. (Camp Wyoda originally opened in 1916 on Passumpsic Point and moved to what is now the Camp Horizon's location in 1921.) The property was acquired by the Aloha Foundation in 1997 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 for its well-kept collection of surviving early camp architecture.
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Ohana Family CampFounded 2008. Ohana offers a family camp and location for special events.
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Camp Billings
Founded in 1906. Camp Billings provides a sleep-away camping experience for boys and girls ages eight to sixteen. Billings is located on the northern end of Lake Fairlee on the border between the towns of West Fairlee and Thetford. Camp Billings started as a Y.M.C.A. Camp but it is now owned by a private non-profit organization. In 2006, it was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lochearn Camp for Girls
Founded in 1916. Lochearn provides a sleep-away camping experience for girls.