Group Camp 7

Group Camp 7, built for the use of African Americans, opened 1.25 miles south of here in 1939. The site was part of Swift Creek Recreational Demonstration Area, a project of the National Park Service that later became Pocahontas State Park. The campground, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and situated at a distance from the whites-only camping areas, featured cabins, a dining hall, and a lake with a beach. The Girl Scouts, Young Women’s Christian Association, Women’s Missionary Union of Virginia, and other groups operated residential camps here, providing educational and recreational opportunities to young black people from across the state. The buildings are no longer extant.