OUR STORY

Mission:

Quaker Haven Camp's mission is to provide a natural retreat facility to support the youth and family ministries of the Western and Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends and the wider Body of Christ. Envisioned as a "corner of Creation," the camp provides the freedom to relax and retreat in a natural environment and encourages a more introspective look to find meaningful relationships with other people and with God.

The heart of camp's mission focuses on the 6-week summer youth programs. Outside of youth camping, other programs include church retreats; family retreats and gatherings; RV and tent camping; and outdoor programming.

History:

The first camp was held in June 1925, with 63 people camping in tents. Aaron Napier, an Indiana Friends Pastor, was instrumental in the creation of the camp. In the early 1950s, 12 log cabins, bathhouses, and a chapel were constructed overlooking Dewart Lake.  The board also purchased an additional five acres of farm and woodland for a total of 20 acres. In the late 1960s, with the help of dedicated volunteers, a year-round retreat facility sleeping 38 people (now known as Friendship Lodge) was built. The mid and late 1970s saw the construction of the 40-campsite RV area and Quaker Hall (1979), which provides dining, a recreation room, offices, a souvenir store, crafts, and many other activities. The 1980s and 90s brought the addition of multiple retreat lodges and expanded bathhouses for the youth cabins.

In 2001, a 20,000-square-foot Activity Center was added to the camp, and the log Meetinghouse was winterized, providing considerably more opportunities for expanding programs and youth activities. In 2022, the camp property hosts youth campers and guests over 300 days a year, has 35 buildings and a total of 137 acres, and employs 8 year-round staff to support the mission, programs, and management of the property.