History
Founded in 1921, Camp Atwater is the first, and oldest Black-owned, and operated summer campsite in the United States. Dr. William N. DeBerry, a Springfield pastor, and social worker founded Camp Atwater to meet the cultural, academic, and social needs of Black youth. Originally named St. John’s Camp, the campsite officially became Camp Atwater in 1926 when Mary Atwater donated $25,000 in honor of her father Dr. David Fisher Atwater, a local physician.
In its more than 100-year history, Camp Atwater has served 60,000 youth, ages eight to 16, from across the United States and abroad. Notable Camp Atwater alumni include Roderick Ireland, the first Black Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Donald Faison, the award-winning actor in the comedy series Scrubs, Wayne Budd, former Associate Attorney General for the United States, Ruth E. Carter, an Academy award-nominated costume designer, and Coleman A. Young, Detroit’s first Black mayor.
Camp Atwater sits on 75 acres along Lake Lashaway in North Brookfield, Massachusetts. The campsite includes 40 buildings and a 3-acre island. Camp Atwater is accredited by the American Camp Association and has been registered as a National Historic Site since 1982.
