Des Plaines Methodist Camp Ground - Des Plaines, IL
Posted by: 
adgorn
N 42° 01.902 W 087° 52.536
16T E 427520 N 4653666
Example of a religious congregation summer retreat area, which were popular in the 19th century. Thanks to Ms. Keating's book (see below) for alerting me to this fascinating site!
Waymark Code: WM4KJ6
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 09/03/2008
Views: 30
From their website:
In the 1830's, as the northeastern corner of Illinois began to be settled and to develop, and the the city of Des Plaines emerged from the grasslands, religious activity was a part of this settlement. Before there were established congregations and churches to house them, circuit preachers roamed the countryside carrying the message. The circuit riders traveled from small settlement to settlement and hatched the idea of bringing larger numbers together in one location for extended services.
Thus the summer camp was born.
Although several Protestant denominations participated in the early meetings , it was the Methodists who continued the practice. With the mid-nineteenth century resurgence in religion, several Chicago ministers met to arrange for a camp meeting that would attract both city members and those from the country.
The Des Plaines Methodist Camp Ground was the outcome of their plans, with the first temporary site founded in 1860 and then the current site purchased in 1865.
The early meetings were mostly tent cities or temporary arrangements that offered overnight accommodations for the week-long meeting. Gradually permanent structures, such as tabernacles for the services and cottages for residences, were constructed. The camp meeting location became a village that offered the benefits of camping out in a shaded grove and the opportunity to revive one's faith.
The Des Plaines site is significant as one of the oldest permanent sites in the United States; and it is one of the best-preserved examples of a radial plan of streets with concentric circles of cottages around the main tabernacle. The 1903 Waldorf Tabernacle is a significant structural achievement with its steel trusses arranged in a circle creating a clear span of 110 feet. Over one hundred cottages, dated from the late 19th to early 20th century, from a collection of residential wooden structures designed specifically for the rural camp meeting.
The Chicago District Camp Ground Association is the original owner of the land and maintains the site that has now functioned continuously as a religious location since the Civil War era.
From: Chicagoland:
City and Suburbs in the Railroad Age
by Ann Durkin Keating
..."Following Talcott northwest to W. Algonquin Road, the Des Plaines Methodist Camp Ground (NW2) is located between a former flag stop on the northwest line of the North Western Railway and the Des Plaines River. Beginning in the 1860s, the camp, modeled on a Chautauqua experience, drew Methodist congregations and families from across the region for a day, a week, or a summer season to escape the city, take classes, and participate in special lecture series and musical events. By the beginning of the twentieth century, they had built cottages, which they returned to season after season. At the center of the camp ground today is the Waldorf Tabernacle, built in 1903 and still used for lectures and musical events. The camp ground is no longer a railroad stop; today’s visitors come by car or bus."
Street address:
1250 Campground Rd.
Des Plaines, IL USA
County / Borough / Parish: Cook County
Year listed: 2005
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1850-1874, 1875-1899, 1900-1924, 1925-1949, 1950-1974
Historic function: Domestic, Religion
Current function: Domestic, Recreation And Culture, Religion
Privately owned?: yes
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2008 To: 12/31/2008
Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: [Web Link]
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.