Buying the Land
Fifty years ago, in late 1968, Dan Glick, Don Gunden, Paul Smucker andHenry Martin Jr. drove up to see the land that is now Camp Deerpark.They were asked to make a judgment as to whether the property was agood investment for a camp. Don remembers, “Somebody from my mis-sion committee asked me to go from Akron Mennonite Church. The Men-nonite Board had asked for assistance. My dad had a couple of farms andthey thought I might know how much a farm was worth.
“I got to go because of John Smucker, who I knew,” Dan said. “John was pastor at Friendship Mennonite in the Bronx. I was a real estate broker so I guess he figured that I knew it all.”
The men first traveled to New York City to see the new Mennonite churches. The pastors greeted them and gave them tours of the different buildings, talking about life in the city and their congregations.
The city wasn’t in the best shape because the garbage workers were on strike. “I remember that, the garbage strike. When we started getting towards the city there was just junk everywhere,” Don said. “For us Lancaster County natives, it didn’t take long to convince us that the city churches needed a camp out of the city,” Dan said. “A place where they could send their children for some fresh air and to see trees and green grass.”
They stopped in for lunch at Glad Tidings Mennonite Church, where Gene Shelly was pastor. Dan remembers feeling very grateful that it was lunchtime: “I always had a habit of getting a headache on an empty stomach, and I’ll tell you what, I had a bad headache then, from the garbage stench. I was ready to tell them to buy that piece of land at any price.”
Most of the congregations, including Glad Tidings, were “storefront churches,” with narrow and plain building exteriors that gave little indication of being a house of worship. “The pastors wanted us to see the city and the need for the camp and then they finally took us out to Camp Deer-park,” Dan said.
John Smucker, Gene Shelly and Glenn Zeager, all pastors, traveled with the men to Camp Deerpark. Dale Stoltzfus joined them to walk the land and show the visitors around camp. The New York group was hoping that the visitors from Lancaster County would be able to tell them if the property was worth the price. When they arrived, they were going to take a walk to see some of the 277acres but as Don recollects, “We couldn’t walk around too much because the snow was knee deep to a giraffe. So instead we just believed Dale when he said that there was a nine-hole golf course and that the land was beautiful.”
property the name was changed from Brandt’s Pleasant View to Old Homestead Farm.
They toured the main house, and another building which eventually served as the boy’s dormitory, and some of the motels.
After seeing a few of the buildings, the group discussed the price, the land and whether the churches should try to purchase the property. Don believed that there was some hesitation. “I kind of remember some hesitation, but I don’t remember who it was from. Then I looked at Dan and said, ‘If they aren’t interested, let’s buy it because this would make a good investment.’”
Dan said, “One walk through the buildings and over the grounds and I thought, ‘buy it now.’ Even if you don’t have any money . . . just buy it and the money will come! The city churches need this place . . . faith will take you on!”
The churches from New York City decided to make an offer of $85,000. The pastors hoped that the four businessmen from Pennsylvania would go back to Lancaster County and convince congregations to contribute to the purchase of the camp and the cause that the city churches were working towards.
—Written by Dillon Hershey, Goshen College intern; and Donna Stoltzfus, former camper and staff.
Dan Glick, volunteer and advocate, attends Forest Hills Mennonite Church in Leola, PA.
Don Gunden, former board member and volunteer, attends Akron Mennonite Church in Akron, PA.