Oregon’s oldest nature camp for girls, the century-old Camp Namanu that continues to operate on 552-forested acres along the Sandy River, has been recognized as a National Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places.
The expansive, outdoor retreat, founded by Camp Fire Girls in 1924 on a homestead and ranch in the Clackamas County city of Sandy, is historically significant according to National Register research in two ways: the preservation of the land and original rustic-style structures as well for being a place of social progress through the Camp Fire organization’s inclusive program teaching children leadership and other skills in a wilderness setting as the U.S. became more industrialized.
Four of the buildings were designed by the late Portland architect Pietro Belluschi, who is renowned for his Pacific Northwest-inspired designs. Over the years, lodges were built with exposed rafters, stone fireplaces and indoor-outdoor porch spaces to blend into the natural landscape in the foothills of the Cascade mountain range.
An exhibit, “Camp Namanu, A 100-Year Journey Toward Inclusion,” through June 9 at the Oregon Historical Society, 1200 S.W. Park Ave. in downtown Portland, celebrates the camp’s centennial birthday.
Summer programs continue to be run by Camp Fire Columbia, a youth development nonprofit serving Clackamas, Multnomah and Yamhill counties. Group rentals, community events and volunteer opportunities are offered throughout the year.
With fundraising efforts, the Namanu nonprofit hopes to build an additional lodge, revamp the 1925 Raker Lodge dining hall and maintain the 70 contributing buildings, including the Belluschi-designed 1929 Camp Fire Lodge, 1931 Guardians Lodge, 1932 Uncle Toby’s Story House multi-purpose lodge and 1936 Blue Wing Lodge.
The newly designated historic district also protects campfire circles, roads and paths around the main meadow’s educational and recreational buildings, the 1957 octagonal Stargazer Tower on stilts and the fictional Mr. Skriggleboggle’s foot-tall fairy house at the base of the Guardian fir tree.
Also protected by the National Park Service’s historic register program are hiking trails and footbridges that lead to Walker Creek, a waterfall, and rhododendrons and red huckleberry shrubs under canopies of old-growth Douglas fir and other trees.
Demand to attend Camp Namanu remains strong, so strong that early access to registration is being offered as a fundraiser. “As a special thank you for donations of $1,000 or more, we are offering an exclusive opportunity for pre-registration for next year’s Camp sessions,” a Camp Namanu email to supporters explained. “Donors at this level will have the chance to register two days before general registration opens on Oct 1st. For every $1,000 donated, you can secure registration for up to two sessions, ensuring you can choose your preferred sessions before they fill up. Please note that pre-registration incentives are limited to 50 slots per session to ensure fairness for all our families.”
Although changes have occurred within the district over the decades, today’s camp retains the layout established in 1959, according to Janette Kunkel, executive director of Camp Fire Camp Namanu.
The Camp Fire Girls organization was founded in 1910 to provide the types of leadership and outdoor development opportunities to young girls that already existed for boys through scouting and YMCA programs. In 1959, more than 2,000 girls registered for Camp Namanu’s overnight summer camp.
Camp Namanu (pronounced “Nuh-MAH-NOO”) “holds a special place in Oregon’s history due to its commitment to inclusivity and diversity,” says Nicole Possert, executive director for the statewide preservation organization Restore Oregon. The nonprofit organization has been assisting Camp Fire Columbia since 2018 on the camp’s preservation and improvements.
Eight new Sherwood sleeping cabins increased capacity for overnight summer events and Outdoor School.
From the start, the camp has welcomed campers from all backgrounds, breaking down racial and socioeconomic barriers, “making Camp Namanu a trailblazer in promoting equality and social justice,” continued Possert.
- The Camp Fire Girls National Organization issued its first inclusion policy in 1948, stating that Camp Fire “must strive to give girls of all minority groups an opportunity to participate fully.”
- In 1975, the Camp Fire national organization became co-educational and removed “Girls” from its name.
- Boys were welcomed as campers at Camp Namanu in 1979.
- The Camp Fire national organization formally affirmed all sexual orientations in 1991.
In the 1990s, Camp Namanu began removing references to Indigenous cultures from the names of its buildings and traditions, according to historians.
Camp Namanu partnered with Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc. (MIG) design firm with an office in Portland to write and document the camp’s cultural and built history for the National Historic District designation.
“My love of landscapes first sprouted at Camp Namanu in my formative years, so it’s fitting to have come full circle and be involved in the process of listing such an iconic historic district,” said Laurie Matthews, MIG’s director of preservation planning and design in a news release.
— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman