Last updated: August 23, 2023
Place
Camp Quinipet
Photograph by Virginia Bartos, courtesy of the New York State Historic Preservation Office
Quick Facts
Location:
78 Shore Rd., Shelter Island Heights, New York
Significance:
Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation, Social History
Designation:
Listed in the National Register - Reference number 05001133
MANAGED BY:
Camp Quinipet in Shelter Island Heights, New York, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The camp is significant as an example of the organized camping for children trend that developed in the early 20th century.
Shelter Island, the home of Camp Quinipet, had been a location for organized camping since 1922. The island, which itself is surrounded by other islands, is remote, and development was slow-going. The resulting rustic nature of the island's accommodations made it an ideal site for vacationers and campers. While an earlier camp on the island, the Shelter Island Grove and Camp Meeting Association, had organized religiously-based camping experiences for adults, Camp Quinipet was the island's first camp focused on youth programs. Very little is known about the camp's history or activities from the years of its founding until 1947, when the property was bought by the New York East Annual Conference of the Methodist Church.
Once the property was owned by the Methodist church, the camp was regularly used as a camp and retreat center. The camp planners initiated an intensive renovation project to bring the camp up to modern standards, drawing recommendations from "camp manuals," which guided camp organizers across the country. Based on those recommendations, the organizers also introduced a number of new activities to the camp, including drama classes and performances, lessons in field biology, and boating.
Today, the property reflects several eras of construction and management. It is currently composed of nineteen buildings that range in date from ca. 1830 to 1965, including an infirmary, a chapel, a nature center, and a dining hall. The camp continues to be owned and operated by the New York East Annual Conference of the Methodist Church, with both day and overnight programs for boys and girls.
Shelter Island, the home of Camp Quinipet, had been a location for organized camping since 1922. The island, which itself is surrounded by other islands, is remote, and development was slow-going. The resulting rustic nature of the island's accommodations made it an ideal site for vacationers and campers. While an earlier camp on the island, the Shelter Island Grove and Camp Meeting Association, had organized religiously-based camping experiences for adults, Camp Quinipet was the island's first camp focused on youth programs. Very little is known about the camp's history or activities from the years of its founding until 1947, when the property was bought by the New York East Annual Conference of the Methodist Church.
Once the property was owned by the Methodist church, the camp was regularly used as a camp and retreat center. The camp planners initiated an intensive renovation project to bring the camp up to modern standards, drawing recommendations from "camp manuals," which guided camp organizers across the country. Based on those recommendations, the organizers also introduced a number of new activities to the camp, including drama classes and performances, lessons in field biology, and boating.
Today, the property reflects several eras of construction and management. It is currently composed of nineteen buildings that range in date from ca. 1830 to 1965, including an infirmary, a chapel, a nature center, and a dining hall. The camp continues to be owned and operated by the New York East Annual Conference of the Methodist Church, with both day and overnight programs for boys and girls.