On May 14, the Camp Fire Cabin in Buena Vista Park will be designated as the city of Santa Maria’s 17th “Object of Historical Merit,” joining the likes of Orange Street Kindergarten, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and the bell at El Camino School.
The city’s Landmark Committee awards historical merit designations to any properties, sites, or artworks determined to have special roles in Santa Maria’s history.
The cabin was built in 1935 with funds from both the Kiwanis Club and the Santa Maria School Board and was initially located on the Santa Maria High School campus. Since then, the cabin has been a recreation site and meeting place for countless young people. For years, it was the base for a summer camp for local kids as a part of the Central Coast Camp Fire USA Council.
“The Camp Fire Cabin was built by the community for community good and has retained its use after all this time,” Landmark Committee Member JoAnn Wilson said.
The Good Samaritan Shelter is currently using the cabin for the Good Samaritan Camp Fire Clubs and Day Camp Program, which offers quality co-educational youth development programs for families, including after-school care programs and summer day camp for clients of Good Samaritan Family Transitional Shelter.
It’s a big help for homeless families, as the children have a safe place to go after school while their parents are working or looking for work.
“The shelter needed a space for those kids, and [is] putting on a really good program for them,” Wilson told the Sun.
The designation ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at the cabin site in Buena Vista Park. Among those scheduled to attend are Campfire USA Central Coast Executive Director Denise Tallman and former Camp Fire for Santa Maria Director Jerrie Harper. The cabin will be open to the public, and the Landmark Committee invites everyone—especially those who are previous Camp Fire members—to stop by.
Intern Jacob Lopez compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via e-mail at intern@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 12-19, 2011.