Additional Images
Scroll through this collection of archival photographs of summer camps throughout western North Carolina — moments both ordinary and unforgettable, frozen in time yet alive with memory. Can you smell the campfire smoke, hear the dinner bell ringing, or feel the chill of a mountain morning?
Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. 1930s
Founder of Camp Merrie-Woode (Saphire, NC), Dammie Day, c. late 1940s
Camp Green Cove (Tuxedo, NC), c. mid-20th century
Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. mid-20th century
Camp Junaluska (Lake Junaluska, NC), c. 1950s
Rockbrook Camp (Brevard, NC), c. mid-20th century
Camp Perry-Ann (Brevard, NC), c. 1920s
Packing List, Rockbrook Camp (Brevard, NC), 1937
Camp Mondamin (Tuxedo, NC), c. late 20th century
Camp Mondamin (Tuxedo, NC), c. early 20th century
Camp Junaluska (Lake Junaluska), c. 1920s
Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. 1930s
Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), c. 1950s
Asheville Citizen-Times; November 21, 1937
Keystone Camp (Brevard, NC), c. 1960s
Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), c. 1950s
The Bell brothers, Joseph Bell, Jr. (center) and Frank "Chief" Bell, Sr. (right), circa 1930s. Joe Bell founded Camp Arrowhead and Camp Glen Arden and his older brother, "Chief," founded Camp Mondamin and Camp Green Cove, all in Tuxedo, NC.
Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. early 20th century
Publication by Asheville Chamber of Commerce, c. 1930s
Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. 1920s
Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. mid-20th century
Camp Mondamin (Tuxedo, NC), c. 1920s
Activity Chart, Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), c. mid-20th century
Camp Greystone (Tuxedo, NC), c. mid-20th century
Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), c. 1950s
Camp Greystone (Tuxedo, NC), c. 1950s
Letter home from a camper at Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), c. 1960s
Camp Greystone (Tuxedo, NC), c. mid-20th century
The Transylvania Times; August 20, 1942
Camp Greystone (Tuxedo, NC), c. mid-20th century
Camp catalog page, Camp Junaluska (Lake Junaluska, NC), c. 1940s
Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), mid-20th century
Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), mid-20th century
Keystone Camp (Brevard, NC), mid-20th century
Asheville Citizen-Times; June 7, 1942
Campus map, Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), c. mid-20th century
Uniform List, Rockbrook Camp (Brevard, NC), 1937
Camp Sequoyah (Weaverville, NC), c. mid-20th century
Founder of Camp Merrie-Woode (Sapphire, NC), Dammie Day, c. late 1920s
Cabin inspection sheet, Camp Ton-A-Wandah (Flat Rock, NC), 1952
Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. mid-20th century
Asheville Citizen-Times; May 8, 1932
Page from a camp brochure, Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. mid-20th century
Cover of camp catalog, Camp Greystone (Tuxedo, NC), 1935
Rockbrook Camp (Brevard, NC), c. 1940s
Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. mid-20th century
Camp Tawasentha operated as a "little brother" camp of Camp Mondamin (Tuxedo, NC), from 1928-1936 for boys ages 7-11.
Letter home from a camper at Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), c. 1960s
Cover of camp catalog, Camp Sequoyah (Weaverville, NC), c. mid-20th century
Camp Merrie-Woode (Sapphire, NC), c. 1920s
Camp Mondamin (Tuxedo, NC), c. 1980s
Track meet score card, Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), July 30, 1957
Rockbrook Camp (Brevard, NC), c. 1940s
Camp Carolina (Brevard, NC), c. 1920s
Asheville Citizen-Times; June 20, 1937
Newspaper ad announcing the establishment of Camp Rockbrook (Brevard, NC) in its 1921 inaugural season. Camp Sapphire (Brevard, NC) was the first summer camp established in Transylvania county and operated from 1913 through late 1930s. (Teed Coe personal collections)
Counselor at Camp Merrie-Woode (Sapphire, NC), c. 1920s
YWCA Conference at Camp Merrie-Woode (Sapphire, NC), c. 1930s. Right: Winnifred Wygal, prominent writer and YWCA National Staff Member (1919-1944) whose work was pivotal to establishing interracial YWCA Conferences. (Cashiers Historical Society Collection)
Camper application for Camp Arrowhead's (Tuxedo, NC) first season in 1937.
Asheville Citizen-Times; August 14, 1938
Swim Meet teams and events, Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), c. 1950s
1920 brochure booklet from Lake Fairfield Camp's second season in Sapphire, NC. The camp was renamed Camp Merrie-Woode in 1922.
Cabin counselors at many camps were required to write letters to campers’ parents during the summer to let them know how their child was doing at camp. At Camp Arrowhead (Tuxedo, NC), these were called “Mama Letters.” This draft was written by a counselor as a template for each of his first Mama Letters of the session. Camp Arrowhead, c. 1967
Scene from the Museum Exhibit
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