{"nrhp_refnum":"82004477","name":"Camp Atwater","other_names":["David Fisher Atwater Camp"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Shore Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"North Brookfield","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.23951804950005,"lon":-72.04957265203507,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-04-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Prehistoric","Entertainment/Recreation","Black","Social History"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Camp Atwater is a 67-acre summer camp on the shore of Lake Lashaway in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, founded in 1921 and made up of about twenty-four buildings, most built between 1921 and 1945.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it the first and only recognized camp for Black children in the country. It argues that many of its alumni went on to distinguish themselves in public life. It also notes the potential for prehistoric archaeological remains, given its proximity to the Drake Site.","narrative":"Camp Atwater is a summer camp of 67 acres on Lake Lashaway in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, divided by Shore Road. About fifty acres remain undeveloped. The grounds hold twenty-four buildings, mostly built between 1921 and 1945, including a Main Lodge, Recreation Hall, Dining Hall and small campers' huts, plus a beach, courts and ball fields. The oldest structure is the White Cottage, built in 1760, which housed the first campers. The camp began in 1921 when Mary Atwater of Springfield donated 60 acres to Dr. William DeBerry in memory of her father, David Fisher Atwater. Forty Black children attended that first season. It is described as the first and only recognized camp for Black youth in the country, drawing campers from across the nation. Alumni include a Detroit mayor, a four-star general and a university chancellor. The site may also hold prehistoric remains, since it lies near the Drake Site.","period_of_significance":"1921-1922","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","B"],"status_note":"Described as occupied, with work in progress, and as unaltered on its original site; used for recreation.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.513915-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/60/7971/63797160/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/82004477.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82004477/12b226e8f3-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82004477/12b226e8f3-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NorthBrookfieldMA_CampAtwater_1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NorthBrookfieldMA_CampAtwater_1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63797160","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Atwater","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5026983"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/camp-atwater-82004477/"}