Nearly 100 years ago, with Susan Courtney Harris’ winning bid at auction for what was then a guest hotel and some surrounding land in the mountains of Clyde, North Carolina, Skyland Camp for Girls was born.
As our summer 2017 season approaches, we’re making big plans to celebrate Skyland’s Centennial.
Because for almost a century, Skyland has been providing a rich summer experience for girls. Sure, some things have changed in the past 100 years. Our campers may not arrive by train or swim in a frigid pool fed by mountain springs anymore, but so much of what Granny Harris envisioned endures. Skyland remains in the family, an institution run by four generations of Harris and Brown women – from the era of Frances and Hempy to the directorship of our beloved Bunny Brown to the modern era.
“I wonder if my great-grandmother ever imagined that Skyland Camp for Girls would still be going strong 100 years later?” ponders current Director Sherry Brown. “But here we are, with girls still spending their nights on the sleeping porch in the Big House, listening to the crickets as they drift off after a busy day.”
Skyland continues to inspire curiosity, celebrate creativity, foster confidence, and forge connections. Our campers still take part in an abundance of activities – from archery to horseback riding to musical theater – that nurture their minds, bodies, and souls. They still sing the same camp songs their mothers and grandmothers sang, voices echoing out over the years.
As our Centennial year unfolds, we’ve got big plans. We’re digging through our archives, unearthing photos and memorabilia to showcase. We’re going on the road and visiting generations of alumnae to preserve their stories for posterity. And we’re planning a big Centennial Celebration here at Skyland Hill for August 4-6, 2017! Save the date!
It’s the perfect year to send your daughter to camp to become part of the legacy of Skyland, so that her story too can intertwine with those of campers past and present, weaving together a vibrant tapestry built on decades of traditions and new discoveries each summer.
Registration is open now for Summer 2017. Hurry for special savings! Early bird registration ends November 1st and, if you pay in full before December 15, 2016, you’ll receive an additional discount!
