The Start of Camp Lookout
In 1952, the Chattanooga District bought 252 acres from D.T. Brown. Financial Support was provided by the Chattanooga District Board of Missions and Church Extension, and it was hoped that work world begin on the Lookout Mountain Camp site in 1953.
It was not until 1955, though, that the land that would become Camp Lookout was surveyed. A Master Plan was prepared for the camp that called for “an Administration Building, Parking, Dining Hall/Lodge/Store, Health Center, Six Year Round Cabins, Two Wash Houses, Cookout and Woodcraft Areas, Woods Chapel, Kitchen Staff Cabin, Eight Small Camps, Pack Trail Sites, Pack Trailer Camp Sites, Day Camping, Swimming Pool, and Service Area.” (Holston Methodist, July 1955).
The Lookout camp site was slow in developing. Initially, there was only one building constructed, along with the boring of a well and pump in 1958 so that local churches might use the site on a limited basis. In this way, congregations in the district became acquainted with the site. In that same year, electricity was brought to the camp. During this time, a group of youth from Centenary Church in Chattanooga camped on the site. They used tents for the first time ever on the site that would develop into Camp Lookout.
Lookout Lodge opened in 1960. Its opening was celebrated with a barbeque with over 350 people in attendance. The money raised from this barbeque was used to buy mattresses and beds for the canvas hogans being constructed at the time. For the second season of camping in the summer of 1961, there were fifteen wooden “sleds” with canvas “covered wagon” tents, called hogans. These were used as sleeping quarters for the more than 250 children and youth who came to the camp that summer.
By 1965, over $105,000 had been invested in the camp. In addition to the Lodge and hogans, there were temporary wooden sleds for tents, a bath house, log cabin, and water system. Rev. W.J. Morton, who built the fireplace in Lookout Lodge, was the part-time manager at the camp in the early 1960s. Mr. And Mrs. James Rapier were then hired in 1966 as the camp’s first full-time caretakers.
When the Rapiers left in 1968, James Roy Shrum, Sr. came to the camp as director. The district office scheduled groups for the camps. There was no permanent paid staff for the summer camps, and clergy within the Chattanooga District organized and directed a particular week of camp.
In 1969, the Cleveland District partnered with the Chattanooga District, and together the districts completed the construction of Sunset Lodge in 1971, replaced the tent hogans with wooden A-frames, and connected the camp to “city water.”
James Bowen of New Salem served as the Camp manager from the fall of 1970 to January 1972. Then, Rex and Peggy Rule came to Lookout in 1972. During the summer of 1972, college students were hired as “permanent” summer staff to provide continuity to the summer programs. The summer program was then expanded to include younger children. In the early 1970s, Jim Douthat and Sullins Lamb co-directed a rising fourth grade camp, to wide success. Rising second and third graders were included in the program for half-week sessions in the early 1980s, and older adult rallies were held in the spring and fall beginning in 1981.
One-to-one camps were started in 1975. Rev. Sullins Lamb and Phyllis Smith Hill were the directors of the first camp, assisted by members of local churches who referred children to the camp. Rex and Peggy Rule worked at the camp until 1979, overseeing the construction of three more winterized cabins during their time as caretakers.
Part of the property was strip mined in 1978 and 1979, and the proceeds from this endeavor were put into the camp funds. The result of this mining was a flat area that could be used for games and recreation and replanted forestry, now known as the Upper Field. Rev. David Elliott became the Director/Manager in June 1979, and a ropes course was added to the camp in 1981 by Rev. Ewis Davis of the North Georgia Conference.
On July 25, 1982, Camp Lookout was dedicated. A solar cabin was designed and built by John Maynard in 1983, and the Vespers Point, looking out onto the plateau of Lookout Mountain over the Rock Creek gorge, was constructed soon after.
Under David Elliott’s leadership, a confirmation retreat was added to the camping program, along with canoeing and kayaking camps and high adventure camps on the Appalachian Trail. During Rev. Elliott’s tenure, Counselors-In-Training were added to the summer program, and the full-time staff was expanded. Russell Nemec came to the camp as a full-time property manager in 1982 and Sylvia Idom came to Camp Lookout in the early 1980s as an assistant director.
Rev. Randall Pasqua went to the camp as director in August of 1987. Ms. Idom and Rev. Pasqua worked to develop an environmental education program, and a new pavilion was completed at the camp for picnics and retreats in 1987.
As an extension of the United Methodist Church, Camp Lookout has served many people in its years of ministry. Camp Lookout’s mission to share the love of Christ in the Glory of God’s creation continues to impact the lives of children, youth, and adults by showing them how to walk daily with God as disciples of Jesus Christ.
It was not until 1955, though, that the land that would become Camp Lookout was surveyed. A Master Plan was prepared for the camp that called for “an Administration Building, Parking, Dining Hall/Lodge/Store, Health Center, Six Year Round Cabins, Two Wash Houses, Cookout and Woodcraft Areas, Woods Chapel, Kitchen Staff Cabin, Eight Small Camps, Pack Trail Sites, Pack Trailer Camp Sites, Day Camping, Swimming Pool, and Service Area.” (Holston Methodist, July 1955).
The Lookout camp site was slow in developing. Initially, there was only one building constructed, along with the boring of a well and pump in 1958 so that local churches might use the site on a limited basis. In this way, congregations in the district became acquainted with the site. In that same year, electricity was brought to the camp. During this time, a group of youth from Centenary Church in Chattanooga camped on the site. They used tents for the first time ever on the site that would develop into Camp Lookout.
Lookout Lodge opened in 1960. Its opening was celebrated with a barbeque with over 350 people in attendance. The money raised from this barbeque was used to buy mattresses and beds for the canvas hogans being constructed at the time. For the second season of camping in the summer of 1961, there were fifteen wooden “sleds” with canvas “covered wagon” tents, called hogans. These were used as sleeping quarters for the more than 250 children and youth who came to the camp that summer.
By 1965, over $105,000 had been invested in the camp. In addition to the Lodge and hogans, there were temporary wooden sleds for tents, a bath house, log cabin, and water system. Rev. W.J. Morton, who built the fireplace in Lookout Lodge, was the part-time manager at the camp in the early 1960s. Mr. And Mrs. James Rapier were then hired in 1966 as the camp’s first full-time caretakers.
When the Rapiers left in 1968, James Roy Shrum, Sr. came to the camp as director. The district office scheduled groups for the camps. There was no permanent paid staff for the summer camps, and clergy within the Chattanooga District organized and directed a particular week of camp.
In 1969, the Cleveland District partnered with the Chattanooga District, and together the districts completed the construction of Sunset Lodge in 1971, replaced the tent hogans with wooden A-frames, and connected the camp to “city water.”
James Bowen of New Salem served as the Camp manager from the fall of 1970 to January 1972. Then, Rex and Peggy Rule came to Lookout in 1972. During the summer of 1972, college students were hired as “permanent” summer staff to provide continuity to the summer programs. The summer program was then expanded to include younger children. In the early 1970s, Jim Douthat and Sullins Lamb co-directed a rising fourth grade camp, to wide success. Rising second and third graders were included in the program for half-week sessions in the early 1980s, and older adult rallies were held in the spring and fall beginning in 1981.
One-to-one camps were started in 1975. Rev. Sullins Lamb and Phyllis Smith Hill were the directors of the first camp, assisted by members of local churches who referred children to the camp. Rex and Peggy Rule worked at the camp until 1979, overseeing the construction of three more winterized cabins during their time as caretakers.
Part of the property was strip mined in 1978 and 1979, and the proceeds from this endeavor were put into the camp funds. The result of this mining was a flat area that could be used for games and recreation and replanted forestry, now known as the Upper Field. Rev. David Elliott became the Director/Manager in June 1979, and a ropes course was added to the camp in 1981 by Rev. Ewis Davis of the North Georgia Conference.
On July 25, 1982, Camp Lookout was dedicated. A solar cabin was designed and built by John Maynard in 1983, and the Vespers Point, looking out onto the plateau of Lookout Mountain over the Rock Creek gorge, was constructed soon after.
Under David Elliott’s leadership, a confirmation retreat was added to the camping program, along with canoeing and kayaking camps and high adventure camps on the Appalachian Trail. During Rev. Elliott’s tenure, Counselors-In-Training were added to the summer program, and the full-time staff was expanded. Russell Nemec came to the camp as a full-time property manager in 1982 and Sylvia Idom came to Camp Lookout in the early 1980s as an assistant director.
Rev. Randall Pasqua went to the camp as director in August of 1987. Ms. Idom and Rev. Pasqua worked to develop an environmental education program, and a new pavilion was completed at the camp for picnics and retreats in 1987.
As an extension of the United Methodist Church, Camp Lookout has served many people in its years of ministry. Camp Lookout’s mission to share the love of Christ in the Glory of God’s creation continues to impact the lives of children, youth, and adults by showing them how to walk daily with God as disciples of Jesus Christ.
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