Camp Kiwanee Historic District
Also known as: Burrage, Albert Cameron and Alice H., Estate; THe Needles; Camp Kiwanis
Why it's listed
Camp Kiwanee is a 68-acre woodland on the eastern shore of Maquan Pond in Hanson, Massachusetts. It began in 1899, when Alice Burrage bought land for a family summer estate called The Needles, and her husband, industrialist Albert Cameron Burrage, added parcels through 1905. In 1907 Burrage built the oldest surviving structures: a quarry-faced concrete block gatehouse lodge with Tudor Revival touches, a garage, and a rustic wood-frame main bungalow. A narrow entry road lined with maples, reportedly finished with a concrete roadbed, remains a defining part of his design. The Greater Boston Council of the Camp Fire Girls bought the estate in 1922 and added land in 1939 and 1958. Most of the camp's single-story seasonal cabins and recreation buildings date from the 1930s to early 1950s. The Town of Hanson acquired the property in 1979 and has maintained it with few changes. The district includes 56 contributing resources.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the property as significant for its origins as the Burrages' summer estate, The Needles, and for its later use as a Camp Fire Girls camp from 1922. It retains an intact collection of 1907 estate buildings and 1930s to early 1950s seasonal camp structures, with little alteration since its period of significance.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05000081, listed February 24, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1 Camp Kiwanee Rd., Hanson |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | February 24, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000081 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Albert Cameron Burrage (builder of the 1907 estate buildings); Dana Pratt (local engineering supervisor for the entry road) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Shingle Style; Late 19th and 20th Century Revival: Tudor Revival |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Town of Hanson as a park; buildings are available for short-term rentals. Described as in good condition with little alteration, and the gatehouse lodge is occupied by the camp caretaker. |
| Coordinates | 42.05824, -70.84744 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05000081.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5027313
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.