The Shadow
Camp ACCOVAC in Millboro will be celebrating its 75th anniversary during the weekend of Aug. 25-Aug 27 and will consist of a busy itinerary.
On Friday night, dinner will be self-serve between 6-7:30 as you arrive. Afterward, a campfire meet-and-greet will take place by campfire. Then, on Saturday morning, breakfast will be served at 8:30 am followed by a “walk down memory lane” at 10 a.m. At 11 a.m. there will be kids’ crafts, water balloons, and volleyball; 12:30 pm, lunch will be served; 2 pm, there will be softball and swimming; 4 p.m. is songspiration; at 5:30 p.m. is dinner; 7 p.m. chapel; 8:30 p.m. is all-ages Jeopardy; 9:30 p.m. campfire. On Sunday, August 27, breakfast will again be served at 8:30 a.m. followed by a 10 a.m. chapel service. At noon, lunch will be served, and departure time will be after lunch.
Camp ACCOVAC is a Christian camp that began as Camp Virginia in 1948 when it rented property from Grace Bible Camp, which at the time, owned property off Route 42 in Bath County in the current area of the Elks Camp.
In 1948, the Rev. A.O. Turnbow, from Highland County, and the Rev. and Mrs. Clarence Kirby, from the Advent Christian headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., had the vision to start a camp for Virginia Conference youth.
This continued every summer until the camp moved to its own grounds in 1954, behind Central Advent Christian Church in Alleghany County. Cabins were built by individual churches and the tabernacle is still known as Gardner Hall.
The four acres of land soon became too small for growth and the conference, under the leadership of the Rev. Brad Moles from Waynesboro, in Bath County bought the property on the outskirts of Millboro. It was formerly owned by Hotchkiss Lumber Company in the 1920s.
There were two houses on the property and an old commissary. One house served as a staff house and the second house served as a kitchen and dining hall with the girls in the bedrooms upstairs.
The old commissary served as a chapel downstairs and the boys slept upstairs, and sometimes in a large tent.
Gradually, cabins were built on the upper part of the land. They were built by the Advent Christian Churches of Iron Gate, Central, Waynesboro, Beaver-dam, Mechanicsville and Lone Star.
A seventh cabin was built by the camp and in 2006, Cabin 8 was built in memory of Mr. George and Nancy Folks. George Folks, from Highland County, and Nancy Showalter, from Iron Gate, met at camp when George came to be the cook in 1948. Their bequest to Camp ACCOVAC, coupled with the help of the rest of the Showalter family, allowed Cabin 8 to be built.
In 1976, the chapel and dining hall building were built. In 1977, the swimming pool and bathhouse were built. These were made possible by the generous contributions of the late Karen and T.K. Ellis and the late Mr. and Mrs. E.P. Brooks of Bath County.
In 1991, Bethel Lodge was completed. This gave the camp 10 rooms where staff and guests could stay. The generous contributions of the late Mrs. Jeanette Osborn and the late Mr. and Mrs. George Beech and other members of the Warm Springs Valley Garden Club helped to make this much-needed building a reality.
Since its inception, Camp ACCOVAC has existed as a place of Christian ministry, serving area youth and families. It continues to host summer youth camps and year-round retreats for youth and adults. In addition, it hosts church and ministry conferences, family reunions, weddings and more.
All are welcome to attend the 75th Anniversary Weekend. The Rev. Gene Peters, a former athletic coach at Bath County High School, will be the featured speaker.
A fundraising campaign is currently underway to raise money to build an all-purpose building on the campground which would be a tremendous asset to the camp’s operation.
To find out more or to contribute a financial gift, check the camp website at www.campaccovac.com or call Josie Denius at 540-862-4904.
