While every off-season at Pinewoods has lots of activity as we execute projects to both maintain and improve camp and its facilities, this year is particularly exciting for us. That’s because the major project this year is the rebuilding of the Ampleforth pavilion, one of our cornerstone projects of the Legacy Campaign. The construction taking place between October 2008 and June 2009 is the culmination of a three-year effort in the planning, design and building of a pavilion that preserves the style and feeling of the original while increasing the potential use and utility of the space.

Ampleforth is one of the original buildings in camp. It can be seen in numerous old photos and on a number of postcards, going back to the time Pinewoods was a Girl Scout camp. It was the dining hall back then, with the meals being cooked in what is now the User Office. It has a special place in our history and holds many a fond memory in people’s hearts. But time and the elements were taking their toll. Six years ago we had engineers inspect the major buildings in camp to give us an assessment on the condition of Pinewoods’ facilities. In their assessment, Ampleforth was the only building specifically cited as needing serious attention.