The history of Pinecrest Dunes: One of Southold’s most successful summer camps (abridged)
By Geoffrey K. Fleming, Director, Southold Historical Society
This humble institution had its beginnings in New Jersey, where it was originally located along Greenwood Lake. It was moved to Southold in 1931 and was given the name “Pinecrest Dunes.” Much of the camp’s wonderful history was made by its founder W. Thomas Ward.
By Geoffrey K. Fleming, Director, Southold Historical Society
This humble institution had its beginnings in New Jersey, where it was originally located along Greenwood Lake. It was moved to Southold in 1931 and was given the name “Pinecrest Dunes.” Much of the camp’s wonderful history was made by its founder W. Thomas Ward.
In 1931, Tom and his wife purchased land in Peconic to be the permanent site of their new camp. The land was located on the Sound, just west of Great Pond along Soundview Avenue. The sandy dunes overlooking the Sound with their scraggily pines must may been the reason the couple christened their new location “Pinecrest Dunes.” The summer of 1932 would be their first season.
The camp offered a myriad of activities to choose from. During the 1930’s-40’s typical daily activities included swimming, diving, life saving, boating, canoeing, sailing, pioneering, archery, boxing, fencing, horseback riding, nature, woodcraft, hiking, dramatics, rifle, trips, building, library, tennis, quoits (a game in which a ring of iron or circle of rope or horseshoes are thrown at a stake in the ground in the hope of encircling it), fishing, Indian-craft, leather-craft, orchestra, field events, etching, baseball, basketball, soccer, metal-craft, crew, scouting, animal-care, track events, and kickball. By the 1950’s and 60’s airplane rides (with parents permission) were also added to the camp activity list. Days began between 6:40 and 7:15 am with a break for lunch and a rest hour (12:30-2:30) and a break for supper (5:45-7:15). Juniors went to bed at 8 pm and seniors at 9 pm.
The camp had decades of seasons up on the dunes and was a true success story. In 1969 Pinecrest Dunes celebrated 36 years of operation and in 1970 it closed for good - taken by the County of Suffolk for their purposes. Today the site is now occupied by Peconic Dunes County Park which continues the tradition of Tom Ward’s camp with an environmental education center and annual summer camp.
Source: http://www.southoldhistoricalsociety.org/pinecrest_dunes.htm
The camp offered a myriad of activities to choose from. During the 1930’s-40’s typical daily activities included swimming, diving, life saving, boating, canoeing, sailing, pioneering, archery, boxing, fencing, horseback riding, nature, woodcraft, hiking, dramatics, rifle, trips, building, library, tennis, quoits (a game in which a ring of iron or circle of rope or horseshoes are thrown at a stake in the ground in the hope of encircling it), fishing, Indian-craft, leather-craft, orchestra, field events, etching, baseball, basketball, soccer, metal-craft, crew, scouting, animal-care, track events, and kickball. By the 1950’s and 60’s airplane rides (with parents permission) were also added to the camp activity list. Days began between 6:40 and 7:15 am with a break for lunch and a rest hour (12:30-2:30) and a break for supper (5:45-7:15). Juniors went to bed at 8 pm and seniors at 9 pm.
The camp had decades of seasons up on the dunes and was a true success story. In 1969 Pinecrest Dunes celebrated 36 years of operation and in 1970 it closed for good - taken by the County of Suffolk for their purposes. Today the site is now occupied by Peconic Dunes County Park which continues the tradition of Tom Ward’s camp with an environmental education center and annual summer camp.
Source: http://www.southoldhistoricalsociety.org/pinecrest_dunes.htm
