Rockwood National Camp | Vintage Girl Scout

Rockwood National Girl Scout Camp

Just a mere 15 miles from Washington D.C., and located in a sylvan setting, Rockwood was the site of a Girl Scout National Center from 1938 to 1979. It was willed to the Girl Scouts in 1936 by Carolyn and John Wilson Caughey and was to be used as a character building center.

On 68 acres, the site came with a mansion, tennis courts, swimming pool and cottages - 2 of which had electricity, modern kitchens and bathrooms. There was also a ballroom - for meetings.

It was used as a conference & training center, a way-station for traveling Girl Scout troops as well as a pleasant destination for local troops to camp out and explore that many trails. The site was officially dedicated as the National Girl Scout Camp in 1952.

Although a "Rescue Rockwood" movement tried to legally stop the sale of the site, it officially closed in 1979. The site itself remains a community park, and apparently is a hot wedding venue.

These Rockwood pins are all enlarged. The top once is thought to be the oldest. The site didn't become a "National Camp" until 1952, so none of these date prior to then.

Dottie Farmer was able to date the second pin to President Johnson's Inauguration

- which was Jan. 20, 1965. She was there!

Sally Jeanne Kappler can date the same pin further back.

She did Service Hours there from

1959-1961 and sold the pin then.

The third pin is from the 1975-era

1964

Aside from 4 different pins, 2 patches and a small group of souvenirs, the one thing Rockwood did was produce an impressive amount of postcards - 19 - by my count, and still looking.