Camp Merrie-Woode
Also known as: Camp Fairfield Lake
Why it's listed
Camp Merrie-Woode is a girls' summer camp in the Sapphire Valley near Cashiers, Jackson County, North Carolina, on the north shore of Fairfield Lake at the foot of Bald Rock and Cowrock mountains. It opened in 1919 as Camp Fairfield Lake, serving daughters of guests at the nearby Fairfield Inn. Mabel Dammie Day bought it in 1922, renamed it, and led it for three decades, adding English-themed traditions such as age groups called pages, squires, yeomen and knights. Its buildings, mostly one-story frame cabins and halls, are sided with bark, split logs and board-and-batten and rest on wood piers or stone foundations. The camp is regarded as an outstanding local group of Adirondack-style rustic buildings set in an undeveloped mountain landscape. Its significance rests on its role in early-twentieth-century girls' camping and on this intact architectural and rural setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the camp illustrates early-twentieth-century recreational activity and the growth of organized girls' resident camping in western North Carolina. It also argues the camp is an outstanding collection of Adirondack-style rustic buildings, with bark shingles, split log and board-and-batten siding and stone chimneys, set within an intact mountain landscape.
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 95000674, listed June 2, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | US 64 N side, 1.6 mi. N of jct. with NC 1120, at end of 1-mi.-long dirt rd., Cashiers |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Listed | June 2, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000674 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1919-1945 |
| Architectural style | Adirondack style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Camp is in continued use as a summer camp; the historic core and later buildings are described in the document. |
| Acreage | 15 |
| Coordinates | 35.13433, -83.04269 (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 95000674.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5027408
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.