By Chad Hershberger
It’s been an exciting first month of 2025 here at camp. Construction has begun on the new bathhouse for Maple Village.
The camp board approved the bid of Martin’s Construction of Mifflinburg at the end of November. The general contractor, sub-contractors, the architects, and camp staff have been meeting since then. A team excavated at the beginning of the second full week of January and by Friday and poured concrete! You can view progress on the construction as well as video updates on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
The new bathhouse will replace Maple Village’s aging bathroom and shower facilities. It will include increased capacity, privacy, and accessibility for users. It is expected to be ready for Summer 2025.
It has been so rewarding to see the progress toward this new facility. Even more rewarding has been the outpouring of support we’ve seen in our fundraising efforts as we work to provide more inclusive and accessible facilities. Over $1.25 million has been pledged toward a $2 million dollar challenge goal.
Unfortunately, construction costs have increased since the initial planning and the winning bid was about 40% higher than when we launched the capital campaign. So, at this point we are unsure what that will mean for the second part of this capital project, renovations to Maple Hall. We are currently planning for three suite-style lodging rooms to offer greater hospitality and ADA accessibility for adult guests in that building.
These improvements will have a direct impact on the thousands of participants who visit Camp Mount Luther throughout the year, including the children from across the area who attend our summer program, outdoor education partnerships, and other local groups, as well as the many adults that come for reunions, conferences, hikes, and more.
We will share regular updates throughout the construction, and of course we invite you to come to Camp Mount Luther to see it for yourself!
If you are interested in giving to our efforts, visit our campaign page for more information!