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Programs >Camp Jefferson
Broadway UCC's CAMP JEFFERSON
Broadway UCC owns a small cabin on in Harriman State Park. Over the decades, Camp J has provided us with a place for rest, recreation and worship.
With a renewed focus on the future, we are in a discernment process as how to best use this gift from God for ourselves and for others. There are a number of possibilities for the camp including: expansion, rehabilitation, community building, and mission opportunities.
Camp Jefferson is a one cabin camp on a piece of property an hour north of the city. The camp was bequeathed to the church (incorporated in 1925) before the surrounding land was deeded to the state and became what is now Harriman State Park. The cabin sits on a hill overlooking Lake Stahahe: the view and the lake are beautiful with rowboats to enjoy more than just the view of the lake.
In the spring of 2007, seventeen members and friends of Broadway Church took an group trip (pictured above) to visit our camp in the woods -- the first such trip in many years. We enjoyed our time together while learning the history of the camp, sharing a meal, worshipping together, hiking and boating around Lake Stahahe, and generally, soaking up the outdoors. All who went seemed to cherish their time out in the woods, but it was clear that this day trip had taken advantage of all that Camp Jefferson had to offer, with little options for more people, more activities, or a longer stay.
On one of our hikes, a few of us happened to wander through an abandoned camp on the opposite side of the lake. It was clear that the camp hadn’t been used in fifteen to twenty years. There were about fifteen buildings that were standing, but in serious disrepair. The buildings were a mess, but it was on a beautiful, spacious piece of land. As a side thought at the time, member Jeff Johnson commented on how great it would be to have this camp, with all of its space and possibilities.
Last winter Jeff and Kyle Carnes began to pursue this ‘side thought’ with the Group Camp Office of Harriman State Park, with the idea of switching over to the camp across the lake. It is a complex endeavor and the exploration of the possibility continues slowly, but we will keep you posted on how it proceeds.
In the meantime, we encourage Broadway members and friends to USE Camp Jefferson during its open season (mid-April through mid-October) for either a day trip or a longer overnight stay. Just call the Broadway UCC office (212-316-5700) for details and to find out when the next church outing to Camp J will be!
Some more pictures of Camp Jefferson...
Lake Stahahe in Winter:
The Camp Jefferson cabin:
