(Photo by Calvin Shepherd - Use By Permission)
Alderson West Virginia - A History
Camp Greenbrier
Alderson is the home of Camp Greenbrier, a summer camp for boys, located on about twenty acres of land on the river just east of the town limits.
Outdoor
camping
for
health
and
education
of
youth
is
a
peculiarly
American
institution.
No
other
country
has
organized outdoor camping or camps to such an extent as the United States.
(Click on photo for larger view)
Camp
Greenbrier
had
its
first
season
in
the
summer
of
1893.
It
is
the
oldest
summer
camp
in
the
south
and
the
third oldest in continuous operation in America. Only two or three businesses in Alderson have had a longer life.
Camp
Greenbrier
had
a
distinguished
group
of
men
who
started
the
camp
and,
over
the
long
period
of
years,
men
of
great
scholarship
and
leadership
have
been
on
the
staff.
Dr.
Walter
Hullihen,
Ph.
D.,
a
college
professor
at
Grant
college,
Chattanooga,
Tennessee,
later
with
the
University
of
the
South,
and
Horace
Whitman,
a
distinguished
lawyer
still
living
in
Baltimore,
met
at
Johns-Hopkins
University. These
two
men
and
other
men
camped
up
and
down
the
Greenbrier
in
1895,
1896
and
1897,
searching
for
a
camp
site
to
start
an
educational
and
athletic
camp
for
boys.
They settled on Alderson.
The
prestige
of
the
staff
and
the
location
of
the
camp
attracted
a
substantial
clientele.
Until
the
mid
1920's,
the
camp
had
a
compulsory
academic
program
taught
in
Walker
Hall,
now
demolished,
with
Greek,
German,
French,
English,
Geometry,
Algebra,
Trigonometry,
Analytical
Geometry,
History, Physics, and Chemistry. (No laboratory work.)
The
qualifications
of
the
staff
were
impressive.
Most
of
them
held
Ph.
D
or
Master's
degrees,
and
none
less
than
a
Bachelor's
degree.
Classes
were
held
during
the
morning
and
teaching
was
intensive.
The
purpose
was
to
help
boys
advance
academically
or,
in
some
cases,
help
them
in
make-up
work.
Dr.
Hullihen
owned
Camp
Greenbrier
outright
until
1921
when
he
became
President
of
the
University
of
Delaware.
Camp
Greenbrier
was
then
incorporated
but
Dr.
Hullihen
owned
at
least
70
%
of
the
stock. He
brought
in
Dr,.
Frank
Hooper,
John
S.
Walker,
C.
B.
Richmond
and
Frank
Carter.
All of these men were from various universities or schools, and were minority stockholders.
From
1917
until
about
1925
Camp
Greenbrier
was
a
military
camp.
(Not
a
pare
of
the
U.
S.
Army.)
The
camp
had
a
uniform,
regular
drills,
and
a
good
band.
Older
town
residents
remember
the
camp
boys
and
band
marching
on
occasions in Alderson.
(Click on photo for larger view)
Peak
attendance
at
the
Camp
was
in
the
years
1920-27,
and
from
1952-57,
with
225
boys
and
from
50-60
counselors. Presently, attendance is about 100.
In
1944
Dr.
Hullihen
died
and
his
two
daughters
inherited
his
interest.
Until
1947
Frank
Carter
operated
the
camp
as
Director.
The
Hullihen
daughters
sold
their
interest
to
S.
Cooper
Dawson,
T.
S.
Garnett
and
E.
J.
Male,
and
in
1959
male
sold
dot
Garnett.
Mr.
and
Mrs.
T.
S.
Garnett
are
the present owners and operators.
Before
1917
Dr.
Hullihen
specialized
in
trap
shooting,
and
then
the
long
rifle
range
was
started.
For
a
time,
the
Camp
had
a
600-yard
range.
Now
it
is a 200-yard range. Springfield 30 caliber rifles are used. The U. S. Government has always furnished the ammunition for the range.
In
addition
to
distinguished
staff
members
who
have
been
connected
with
Camp
Greenbrier
over
the
years,
a
number
of
outstanding
men
have
been
campers.
Ivan
Allen,
Mayor
of
Atlanta,
was
at
Camp
Greenbrier
or
five
years.
Bill
Wade,
quarterback
of
the
World's
Champion
Chicago
Bears,
was
at the Camp for twelve years. Many have distinguished themselves in the professions.
Camp Greenbrier still uses for athletic purposes a track built by the old Alderson Fair in 1884 for horse races.
At the end of the regular camp period in August a "house party" starts, attended by families. In 1964, 245 people, mostly adults, will be in camp.
Ref: Catalogs, Camp Greenbrier, 1907,01909, 1910
S. Cooper Dawson, Alexandria, Va.
The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV Used by permission - November 18, 2008
Main Index
The History of Alderson, West Virginia
From The Journal Of The Greenbrier Historical Society On Alderson, West Virginia
Written by Kenneth D. Swope - Compiled and Transcribed by Barry Worrell
The
athletic
programs
was
diverse.
Baseball,
tennis,
swimming,
canoeing,
every
kind
of
track
event,
marksmanship,
trap
shooting
and
hiking
were
some
of
the
sports.
The
baseball
team
played
Alderson,
Hinton,
Ronceverte,
Lewisburg,
Covington,
Hot
Springs.
Some
of
those
old
baseball
games
must
have
been
exciting.
In
some
seasons,
Alderson met the camp in five games.
