The Methodist Camp
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In 1857, leaders of the Methodist Church choose this site to serve as the Battle Ground Collegiate Institute. The site was chosen because of its historic significance, its natural features, and its close proximity to the railroad and nearby towns. From 1859 to 1882 the average enrollment in the school was 275 students. Boys earned a Bachelor of Science degree and the girls earned a Mistress of the English Literature.
In 1874, the Methodist Church converted the site into a gathering place for Methodists from around the state. They “...hoped to supply a pleasant place where parents could afford a few weeks of change of scene and air in the summertime, to their children, at a small outlay.” The first camp meeting was held in the woods in 1874 and in subsequent years, a tabernacle, cottages, dining hall, swimming pool, and retreat center were added to accommodate the summer camps. The site was used for that purpose up until the late 1960s before being sold to the Tippecanoe County Park & Recreation Board in 1974.
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Cottages:
Construction of the first cottages began in 1875. By 1917, 55 cottages were in use. In the late 1960's and 1970's the cottages were torn down. Several cottages were moved and are residences in Battle Ground.
Marker is on Battleground Avenue west of Railroad Street, on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
