POSTED: Wednesday, Jun. 30, 2010

Camp Firwood on Lake Whatcom enjoys spacious new dining hall

Camp Firwood campers will no longer have to sit shoulder-to-shoulder at mealtime - the camp's new dining hall is open.

The nearly 12,000-square-foot Centerhouse opened to its first campers this week, fulfilling a dream that camp staff have been discussing for years.

"It's been for decades a desire to build the new building," said Rob Lee, onsite director of the camp, smiling at the new building. "But for all kinds of reasons, it hadn't been a reality."

Camp Firwood, which is located on Lake Whatcom and run by The Firs, has been open to campers since 1955. The old dining hall, known as the Longhouse, was designed to feed about 80 campers.

But the camp passed that capacity decades ago, wedging about 350 campers and counselors into the building multiple times a day. Benches were jammed between tables, causing people to sit back-to-back.

"We made it work," said counselor Jenny "Psyk" Buurma, "but we were climbing over benches and tables a lot to get seconds."

Not anymore. The Centerhouse - which has an 8,000-square-foot main floor, 4,000-square-foot daylight basement and 2,000-square-foot deck - allows campers and counselors to comfortably eat as a family and enjoy mealtime skits and performances.

The $2.7 million building, which was constructed by Pearson Construction and designed by RMC Architects, features roll-up bay doors, polished concrete floors, a stage with light and sound systems, and exposed wooden ceiling beams.

But the Centerhouse does more than provide the camp with a dining hall and kitchen area that is almost four times the size of what's been used. It also allows for inside activities on rainy days. In the past, counselors would try to ignore the rain and continue with activities, because the alternative was for kids to sit in their cabins.

"It's been the philosophy for years that it never rains at Firwood," Tom Beaumont, executive director of the camp, said with a chuckle.

Now campers and counselors can use the Centerhouse or the Longhouse, which has been turned into a permanent indoor-activity location.

Fundraising for the project is still going, with about $700,000 still needed. The other $2 million has come from donations, grants and The Firs.

And while the Centerhouse is a welcome addition to the camp for many, it does bring change. There is now more capacity for outside groups to rent space, and it pulls the center of camp away from the lake.

"It will be interesting to see how camp adjusts," Beaumont said.

LEARN MORE

For more information about Camp Firwood, go to campfirwood.org. For more information about the Centerhouse project, go to firwoodcenterhouse.org.