Camp History

In 1952 Abe and Eve Crittenden envisioned another way to share the magical place that is Plantation and they transformed it into a farm summer camp for children. The vision that they had of a place where people could come together, live in peace with each other and nature, while having fun continues to live on. 

They passed control of camp to their nephew, David, and his wife Ginny Crittenden, who ran camp in the 1970's.

In 1985, David and Suzanne Brown became the directors of Plantation, and they ran camp for 19 years. They carried Abe and Eve's vision into the 21st century, while maintaining the history and traditions that make Plantation unique.
 

In 2004, David and Suzanne passed the torch to John Chakan and Kelly Marston. John and Kelly are honored to continue Plantation's mission, honoring the generations that came before them and striving to keep Plantation one of the finest summer camps in the country.

Throughout it all, Plantation strives to develop personal responsibility, self-esteem, and sensitivity to the environment using the challenges found in natural country living as its teaching medium.

Local History

The Pomo (or Kashia) Indians, a tribe that lived in the Northern California region, called Plantation “A Place in the Sun.” For thousands of years, it was a peaceful place to meet and come together to celebrate the natural world. Since then Plantation has continued to draw people to gather, relax, have fun, and enjoy this place in the sun.

Just down the road from us along the coast is Fort Ross. In 1812 the Russians established a permanent base at Fort Ross on Bodega Bay, which was the main source of the fur animal they sought: the now nearly-extinct sea otter. This fort was the southern most settlement of the Russians in North America. Every summer Living History Day reenacts life in the 18th century and is a popular field trip for campers.

In the 19th century, the Plantation House, a thirteen room hotel, was built and operated on the current Plantation premises. At the turn of the 20th century, the then-town of Plantation boasted a post office, meeting hall, and a stop on the Wells Fargo Express route. Sadly, the hotel burned down in the 1920’s.

While the hotel no longer stands, many of these historic original buildings still remain and provide a timeless aura to the site that is now Plantation Farm Camp.