Waltham, MA — In 2023, Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, celebrates the 100th anniversary of one of their camps – Camp Cedar Hill, located in Waltham, MA. Camp Cedar Hill is rich with not only Girl Scout history, but also American history. This tremendous anniversary makes Camp Cedar Hill the oldest Girl Scout camp in the country.
Located right outside Boston, the now 75-acre property was once a 200-acre working farm, purchased in 1854 by the Warren family. Cornelia Warren took over the management of the property after her father’s death and began opening the property up for religious, educational, and social service organizations to use. The Cedar Hill property was widely known for its maze that visitors came from miles around on foot to go in.
Widely known as a philanthropist, Cornelia Warren’s primary interests were in educational and social service organizations. Cornelia lived at Cedar Hill until her death in 1921. Her will stipulated that the Cedar Hill estate was to be given to a charitable organization. In 1923, the trustees of Cornelia Warren’s estate made a gift of 75-acres of her Cedar Hill property in Waltham to the Massachusetts Girl Scouts. Helen Storrow, of the Storrow Family, was the chairman of the Massachusetts State Camp Committee at the time and was instrumental in procuring the gift and provided the financial resources to convert Cedar Hill for Girl Scout use.
Since 1923, Camp Cedar Hill has been the center of many Girl Scout moments in history, from hosting the first International Girl Scout meeting in 1926 which Girl Scouts founder Juliette Lowe attended, to hosting the founder of the Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell. Girl Scouts from all over Eastern Massachusetts have attended camp at Cedar Hill over the past 100 years, including Krista McAuliffe, one of the astronauts on Space Shuttle Challenger.
Today, Camp Cedar Hill welcomes campers entering kindergarten through 12th grade to take part in the life-changing experience of summer camp. There they enjoy archery, swimming in two pools, boating on the pond, high and low ropes challenge courses, and the alpine climbing tower—not to mention favorite camp activities like singalongs, and crafts.
After 100 years, Camp Cedar Hill continues to be an instrumental part of Girl Scout programming, helping to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
About Camp Cedar Hill
Located just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Boston on 75 acres of natural beauty, Camp Cedar Hill in Waltham welcomes campers entering kindergarten through 12th grade to the life-changing experience of summer camp. Here they’ll enjoy archery, swimming in two pools, boating on the pond, high and low ropes challenge courses, and the alpine climbing tower—not to mention favorite camp activities like singalongs, and crafts. It’s easy to make new friends and lasting memories at Camp Cedar Hill!
About Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
Behind every Girl Scout and volunteer is a team of local staff ready to help them earn that next badge, embark on a camping adventure, or organize an impactful service project. That’s what a Girl Scout council is. They are here to maintain camp properties, provide local Girl Scouts skill-building workshops and resources to achieve whatever they can dream up.
Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts is 30,000 members strong―over 19,000 youth and 11,000 adult volunteers in 178 communities between the New Hampshire border and the Cape and Islands.
This is a press release submitted by Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts and previously published elsewhere. Do you have a press release for your organization that you’d like to distribute? Fill out our contact form.