Advent Camp Meeting Grounds Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Advent Camp Meeting Grounds Historic District
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 150 Advent Ln., Hartford, Vermont |
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| Area | 7.5 acres (3.0 ha) |
| Built | 1887 |
| NRHP reference No. | 100001656 |
| Added to NRHP | September 21, 2017 |
The Advent Camp Meeting Ground Historic District is a special historical area in Hartford, Vermont. It includes the oldest buildings and grounds of a religious summer camp. This camp was started in 1887.
It is one of the few camp meetings from the 1800s that are still around in Vermont. It is also the only one still run by Adventists. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
What is the Advent Camp Meeting Ground?
The Advent Camp Meeting Ground is located in a village called Wilder. It covers about 7.5 acres (3 hectares) of land. This area is found between a cemetery and old railroad tracks. These tracks run next to the Connecticut River.
A "camp meeting" is a type of religious gathering. People come together for several days to worship, learn, and socialize. These meetings were very popular in the 1800s.
A Place with a Long History
Before 1887, the land belonged to a person named Orren Taft. The Advent Camp Meeting group bought it that year. This was not the first Adventist camp in Vermont. Another one had started in Bethel in 1868.
In 1886, some members from the Bethel camp wanted a permanent meeting place. They wanted it to be near White River Junction. So, they bought this land in August 1887. They quickly built a large tent for meetings and small cabins for people to stay in.
The camp was very popular because it was close to the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) line. Many people could easily travel there by train. A special platform was even built for the camp attendees.
In 1895, a big fire destroyed most of the early buildings. After the fire, new buildings were put up. They were spaced out more widely among the trees. Attendance at the camp started to go down in the 1920s. However, the camp has continued to operate every summer since it began.
What Does the Camp Look Like?
The buildings at the camp are set up around a main meeting hall. This hall is called a tabernacle. It is a one-story building with a gently sloped roof. The sides of the tabernacle have wall sections that can be removed. When the camp is happening, these walls are taken down. This makes the tabernacle an open-air space.
Other important buildings at the camp include a kitchen and dining room. There are also classrooms for learning. Plus, there are buildings for things like electricity and water.
For sleeping, there are two dormitories for groups of people. There are also many small cabins. Some of these cabins are owned by private families. All the cabins are simple and not very fancy.
