History of Camp Washington Carver

Court decision which outlawed
segregation, all of the state's 4-H
programs were transferred to
Jackson's Mill by 1964. In 1957,
West Virginia State College lost its
land grant status and, with it, its
ability to conduct extension services.
The hardest blow to WVSC's ability
to administrate the facility came in
1972 when it was denied legislative
appropriations for the camp.
Serious efforts by WVSC were
made in 1973-74 to revive the camp
by attracting programs that crossed
color lines. Doris Peaks, who worked
in the kitchen during those years,
says, "We had some groups that
would come in and stay one or two or
three weeks. We had groups, like the
Methodists, that would come in
different age groups like the senior
and then the junior Methodist. We
had the Beckley Child Care Center.
We had groups from Chicago and the
ROTC from WVSC. There was also
a group of Head Start teacher trainees
from Marshall University."
The most colorful event was the
2nd Annual John Henry Memorial
Festival, featuring a Blues and
Gospel Jubilee starring Tai Mahal,
Uncle Homer Walker, Della Taylor,
Eugene Redmond, Bob Thompson,
Miss Naomi Jordan and the Family
Affair, Lou Myers, and others. There
were Sunday school encampments,
Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other
integrated groups, but the efforts
failed because those organizations did
not have significant capital to support
the complex's operating budget. In
1979, the camp was transferred to the
Department of Culture and History to
become a new rural cultural arts
center. By this time it was known
of f i ci a l l y as Camp
Washington-Carver in honor of
historic black leaders Booker T.
Washington and George Washington
Carver.
In 1980, Camp Washington Carver
was placed on the National Register
of Historic Places. The occasion was
celebrated with a rededication
ceremony by the Department of
Culture and History, with Governor
Jav Rockefeller giving the keynote
address [See Goldenseal, "Camp
Washington-Carver Opens," October
December 1980].
Shortly after that event, I made an
appointment and met with
Commissioner of the Department of
Culture and History Norman Fagan,
and Director of Arts and Humanities
Jim Andrews to make them aware of
my qualifications and desire to work
at Camp Washington-Carver.
Norman and Jim explained to me that
they were in the rehabilitation phase
of the camp's renewal, but urged me
to keep in touch because they
intended to carry out the mandate of
the transfer agreement that they had
made with West Virginia State
College. The mandate stipulated that
a strong African American
component be a part of the camp's
agenda. Norman also assured me that
theatre would be a part of the
programming. I left that meeting
feeling very enthused and determined
to try to obtain a position at the
camp.
In the spring of 1984, I received a
letter from Norman Fagan asking me
to contact Bob Shreve at CWC if I
was still interested in working there.
Bob informed me that there was a
seasonal position available in the
programming department at the camp
and that I could have the job if I
wanted it. I accepted the job on the
spot.
As program assistant, my duties
included collaborating with Bob and
Norman in setting up a model
program for annual summer seasons.
After a series of meetings, we
designed events that related to
Fayette County, the state of West
Virginia, and African American
heritage. The main events were
Homestyle Dinner Theater, Doo-
Wop Saturday Night, "Carver Goes
Country," Appalachian Open
Championships bluegrass music
competition, Fayette County Old-
Time Days, and Black Heritage
Week Celebration. I served as the
coordinator of the Black Heritage
Week Celebration.
In 1986, 1 proposed that instead of
just presenting a week of performing
arts for the Black Heritage Week
Celebration, we offer a youth arts
camp. I felt that a camp would be
instrumental in keeping alive the