Camp Wright

The Arts and Crafts/Bunk House, with
Bunk House #2 in the background

To be sure, there are lots of sites (standing and gone) in Mill Creek Hundred that were special to various grown-ups over the years -- the homes where they raised their families, the mills or barns where they spent their days, the churches they worshiped in. But there are three MCH sites in particular that come to mind as holding a special place in the hearts of thousands of children -- Brandywine Springs Amusement Park, Camp Mattahoon, and the subject of this story, Camp Wright. We've covered the first two in previous posts, so now we'll give Camp Wright its due.

What became known as Camp Wright sits on a seven acre tract along the west side of Mill Creek Road, across from the end of Graves Road (and just south of Mendenhall Mill Road). For nearly 80 years it served as a pastoral oasis for thousands of Wilmington's underprivileged children, if only for a week or two at a time. Speaking of the site, one article in 1929 said, "Perhaps there is no spot in Delaware where there is more happiness confined in a small space than at the Children's Camp near Hockessin." And though Camp Wright is a part of the 20th Century history of Mill Creek Hundred, its origins go through Brandywine Hundred and ultimately back to post Civil War Wilmington.

In the aftermath of the war, benevolent and special aid societies popped up all over the country, so many that by the 1880's there began to be some consolidation of these charitable organizations. Locally in 1884, several of these groups merged to form the Associated Charities of Wilmington, with the goal of better coordinating services for the city's underprivileged. One of the programs, which began in 1889, was the idea of sending poor city kids (and their mothers) to spend time "out in the country". This soon morphed into the idea of summer camps for children, which: 1) gave them rural experiences, 2) got them out of the unhealthy city for a time, 3) allowed them access to better food and exercise, 4) and not least of all, gave their parents a break, too.

Well into the 1910's, Associated Charities was still sending mothers and children to various farms in places like Centreville and to one called Wayside Farm near Talleyville (I haven't figured out exactly where that one was). However, in 1917 the organization began leasing a farm on Beaver Valley Road near Smith's Bridge, and there set up a Children's Camp. They would send children in groups of about twenty, sometimes two groups at a time, free of charge to the campers. They carried this on for a few years, but then began to look for a more suitable and convenient location.

They narrowed in on a site in late 1919, and in February 1920 Associated Charities purchased 87 acres along Mill Creek from widow Edna Wilson. This was the bulk of what had been one of the Springer Farms, whose earlier history was detailed in a prior post. Two of the reasons given for the choice were communication and transportation. The cost was too high to have telephone lines run to the Beaver Valley Road site, and the Hockessin site was right on the trolley line. That's a little ironic, since the trolley in question, the Kennett Trolley, would fold and cease operations in 1923 (just before the second season of camp there).

The group's lease on the Beaver Valley Road site extended through the 1920 season, so camp was held there that year. Money became a bit short the next year and the Mill Creek site was not yet ready, so no camps were held anywhere in the summer of 1921. Luckily though, at just the right time, along to the rescue came another event that I'll bet most of you have attended at one time or another -- the Flower Market.

An August 1922 account of the first year at
what would soon be called Camp Wright

The first Wilmington Flower Market was held in May 1921, and one of the beneficiaries of the event was the Associated Charities Children's Camp fund. It was such a success, and getting the new camp up and running for the next summer such a priority, that in 1922 all of the Flower Market's proceeds went towards the camp. Wilmington folks must have bought enough flowers, because the new camp did indeed open to campers on July 26, 1922. In all, 125 children between the ages of 5 and 12 attended the camp that first year, each group of about 20 camping for a week.

That first season, the Children's Camp (as it was still known) had only one permanent building, probably what would later be called the Arts and Crafts/Bunkhouse (seen at the top of the post in its later days). There were separate boys and girls dormitories, separated by the caretakers quarters in between (I believe, especially then, that the boys and girls were there on different weeks). For a dining hall they used a canvas tent donated by the Delaware State Fair. Over the ensuing years more buildings would be erected, eventually totaling about eleven. 

Bunk House #1, in 2007

The Kitchen/Dining Hall, in 2007

After running the Children's Camp at the Mill Creek site for two seasons, Associated Charities decided that they had no need for the entire farm they had purchased, so in early 1924 they sold 80 acres of it, only holding on to the seven acres down on Mill Creek Road and along the creek itself (which is still the property today). For the 1925 season a new dormitory (I think what's now known as Bunkhouse #1) was built and the Kitchen/Dining Hall enlarged, so that the camp could double its seasonal capacity to 300 deserving children. 1928 saw two big changes to the camp. The big one for the kids was the installation of new playground equipment.

The other change was in the name. Peter T. and wife Mary Wright had been active with Associated Charities for years, and more specifically with the Children's Camp. (Mary came from several prominent families -- her grandfather Mahlon Betts cofounded what would become shipbuilder Harlan and Hollingsworth, and her mother was a Tatnall.)  A certified public accountant who did work for the organization, Mr. Wright was also a frequent visitor to the camp and was universally beloved by the children there. He passed away in February 1928, and that summer the children unanimously voted to rename the site Camp Wright. 

Children getting health checks, June 1929

It should be noted again in sending kids to the camp, their physical health was among the top priorities. The children were often malnourished, a problem which only got worse during the Great Depression of the 1930's. Unlike how it would be today, camp organizers were happy to report that many children gained weight while at the camp. For many of the kids, the meals they got at Camp Wright were among the best they had all year. Additionally, as seen above, all prospective campers had to pass health screenings (mostly for communicable diseases) before being accepted.

In March 1931, Associated Charities changed its name to The Family Society, which they thought better reflected the work that they did. Camp Wright continued to operate every summer throughout the Depression, when arguably it was needed even more. Besides the food and activities, each child was provided with all the amenities they would need. Upon arrival, they were given overalls, pajamas, blankets, towels, washcloths, soap, comb and brush, and a toothbrush. All but the toothbrush were returned at the end of their stay.

Buildings of Camp Wright, May 1944 (from left to wright right): Gawthrop Hall,
Bunk House #1, the Kitchen/Dining Hall, and the Arts and Crafts/Bunk House.

As of the 1935 season there were still only three permanent buildings at the camp (according to an extensive newspaper article), but several would soon be built. One, as seen in the 1944 photo above, was Gawthrop Hall, which I think was an all-purpose building for the kids. It may well have been the new "crafts cabin" mentioned in a July 1942 article (and still funded by the Flower Market). There was also Bunk House #2 (built on the hillside behind the other structures in 1950), the Washroom (directly behind the original buildings), the Caretaker's House (slightly northwest, on the hillside), the Medical Building (closer to the road), and the Gatehouse (at the entrance). A documentation survey done of the site in 2007 assumes that most of the buildings were constructed in the 1920's, but as best as I can tell from contemporary reports, that doesn't seem to be the case. 

The next big improvement at the camp was in 1954. Prior to that, a swimming "pool" had been created in Mill Creek by damming the waterway. There was actually a deeper section for the bigger kids and a shallower wading area for the little ones. But in July 1954, a brand new, honest-to-goodness concrete swimming pool was dedicated. This made swimming and swim instruction easier for all. The other change announced late in 1954 was that starting the following year, the Family Society would turn over the operation of the camp to the West End Neighborhood House under a three year lease. In addition to the normal summer children's camp, the facilities would now be available year-round for other programs.

The old "swimming pool", created by a dam in Mill Creek (1948)

The 1954 dedication of the new concrete swimming pool

A second lease was signed in 1957 between the West End Neighborhood House and the Family Service of Northern Delaware, which the Family Society had become in 1956. However, in 1958 a long-term lease was worked out, and the West End Neighborhood House eventually bought the property outright in 1972. Although the camp was open to children from all over Wilmington, the West End Neighborhood House gave priority to kids from the community they serviced, which was originally largely Italian-American. As the community changed, African-American children were finally allowed to use the camp in the early 1960's. There had been public complaints about the lack of inclusion and diversity in the 1950's, but the explanation (excuse?) was about what they thought the community found acceptable.

Throughout the 1960's and 70's, Camp Wright continued to be used for various programs, including the summer overnight camps. The last of those seem to have been around 1980, but retreats and day camps carried on (including some for senior citizens). Through much of the 1990's, the Wilmington Jaycees set up a haunted house there, called Camp Fright. This seems to have started just after the next major renovation of the camp in 1993, when many of the buildings were raised and put on piers. 

This was done for a good reason, and might have bought the camp a few more years at the end. Being situated along Mill Creek, the camp always had to deal with occasional flooding. However, two events four years apart signaled its end. In September 1999, flooding from Hurricane Floyd did extensive damage to the site, but not beyond the point of repair. Four years later, though, the devastation from Tropical Storm Henri was too much. The damage to the raised buildings could be repaired, but the needed repairs to the bridge, parking lot, and roadway were beyond the charitable group's means. In 2005, the West End Neighborhood House sold the land to New Castle County.

The Arts and Crafts/Bunk House in 2022

Gawthrop Hall in 2022

After that, the property was more or less just left to sit and rot. The pool was demolished and filled in in 2006, but the rest of the buildings were left to the elements. A 2007 survey showed them to be in decent enough condition, but when the county commissioned another such look in 2022, it was a whole different story. Pretty much all the structures had deteriorated to the point that it would have taken millions of dollars to repair them and make them safe to use. Unfortunately by that point there was no choice but to raze the buildings. The only structure on the property to be saved was a stone springhouse that long predated the camp. [The color photos in this post were taken from the reports commissioned by NCC in 2007 (prepared by McCormick Taylor, Inc.) and in 2022 (prepared by Steinle Construction Engineers). They are available online here. If anyone involved has any issues with my use of the photos, please contact me and we can address the issue.]

As of the writing of this post, I believe the work of removing the buildings has commenced (and may even be done). The plan is for the site to be incorporated into the Mill Creek Greenways system, and to be connected to pathways just south along Mill Creek and Mill Creek Road. A new, higher bridge over the creek should already be in place, and there was talk of interpretive historic signs around the site. The grounds of the former Children's Camp/Camp Peter T. Wright will still be available to young and old alike, and if you listen closely you might even hear the echoes of generations of city kids making memories they'd cherish for the rest of their lives.