Contributed by Penobscot Marine Museum
Description
Summer campers posed on one of the streets of tidy cottages at the Richmond Campground about 1910.
Between 1868 and 1900 the annual Kennebec Valley Camp Meeting (Methodist Episcopal), lasting four to ten days, drew as many as 5000 people from up to 50 miles away. Most initially stayed in sailcloth or canvas tents with straw and quilts on the ground. However, by 1877 there were 96 private cottages, 46 private tents, and 17 society chapels and tents. The Campground also had a boarding house, store, rooming house, and long stable. Since each town society or church held its own services in addition to the camp-wide gatherings, emotional shouting and loud prayer was heard throughout the campground.
Between 1900 and 1920 the Campground became a flourishing summer colony. Religious activity continued but on a smaller scale. Outdoor recreation became an important part of the experience. Many of the cottages were spruced up and new porches added. A bathhouse and wharf were built on the Kennebec River just below the railroad. The old Augusta chapel was converted into a recreation hall. In 1903 a Women's Improvement Society was formed; it later changed its name to the Pine Tree Club.
About This Item
- Title: Street view of Richmond Campground, Richmond, ca. 1910
- Creator: Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co.
- Creation Date: circa 1910
- Subject Date: circa 1910
- Location: Richmond Campground, Richmond, Sagadahoc County, ME
- Media: Glass Plate Negative
- Dimensions: 12.7 cm x 17.8 cm
- Local Code: LB2007.1.102176
- Collection: Eastern Illustrating & Publishing Co.
- Object Type: Image
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
Other Keywords
- Boarding houses
- Camp meetings
- Campgrounds
- Improvement societies
- Recreation
- Religious camps
- Religious revivals
- Religious services
- Resort cottages
- Summer colonies
For more information about this item, contact:
Penobscot Marine MuseumPO Box 498, 5 Church Street, Searsport, ME 04974
(207) 548-2529
Website
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