Camp Brevard activities with 1—Mrs. H.E. Lassiter, 2—Mrs. Luella Gibson Joiner.

In 1921 Mrs. Luella Gibson Joiner of
Alabama started Camp Brevard for girls. 
The camp was located just a couple a miles outside of town on property
owned by C.M. Siniard near Glen Cannon Falls. 
The camp is included in a Red Book Magazine publication about 1926
summer camps.  However, Mrs. Joiner died
on November 25, 1925.

W.W. Waters took over management of
the camp in 1926 and renamed it Camp Cohosset. 
The name was said to be an indian term for “by the pines”.  It operated for just the one season.

Camp Perry-Ann mini-golf.

Mrs. Luther Pushell opened Camp
Perry-Ann, “the only camp in the South exclusively for Jewish Girls”, on the
property in 1927.  Camp Perry-Ann
brochures describe the property as 200 acres on a gently sloping pine-covered
hill overlooking the French Broad River and bordering Williamson Creek and Glen
Cannon Falls.  It included the lake,
tennis courts, a lodge and cabins.  Camp
Perry-Ann operated through 1931.

In 1936 it was announced that a Girl
Scout Camp would operate on the former Camp Perry-Ann site.  The property was then own by Mr. & Mrs.
T.J. Wilson.  Camp Cateechee was affiliated
with the Girl Scouts of Asheville, Charlotte and Greenville, SC but served Girl
Scouts from throughout the Southeast.  Camp
Cateechee operated for about 10 years.

Cabins at Camp Ivy Hill, 1922.

Another little known girls’ camp on
the outskirts of Brevard was Camp Ivy Hill. 
Located on a low wooded hill it included the Ivy Hill Nursing Home
(today The Oaks) property.  The camp was
operated by Mrs. Harriet Davis and her daughters, Miss Mary McPhail Davis and
Mrs. Elizabeth Mauldin.  It included
swimming, tennis, basketball, baseball, volleyball, track and hiking
excursions. Music, basketry, weaving,
clay modeling and illustrating were also offered.  Camp Ivy Hill operated from 1921-1923.

Next week Picturing
the Past will take a look at some of the summer camps in the Cedar Mountain
area.

Photographs
and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina
Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit
the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about
our history and see additional photographs. 
For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at [email protected]
or 828-884-3151 X242.