A 50-acre day camp on the Brandywine Creek, just five miles from West Chester, turned 100 on Saturday, with a celebration that drew local lawmakers, conservation groups and the Girl Scouts who use its trails.
Camp Linden, owned by the Philadelphia Ethical Society and tucked into West Bradford Township's woods, has provided free environmental education and swimming lessons to low-income urban children since the property opened as a youth camp in 1926. Executive Director Amy Johnston announced the dedication of the Carol Love Nature Cabin, an existing camp building named for the woman who kept the camp from being sold off four decades ago.
"Carol fought for it. Without her, Camp Linden wouldn't be here," Johnston said.
A camp saved from the auction block
The camp traces its roots to 1906, when the Philadelphia Ethical Society launched a summer program for children at Southwark House, a settlement house serving Irish immigrant families in Philadelphia. Jenny Fels and her husband Samuel donated the 62-acre Chester County farm that became Camp Linden's permanent home in 1926.
By 1981, the organization running the camp couldn't afford repairs and shut it down. Three years later, the Ethical Society considered selling the land for residential development. Dr. Carol Love argued at the society's 1984 annual meeting that the property carried an ethical obligation to remain a camp for inner-city children. She tabled the sale, personally funded a new septic system, and in 1992 launched the Friends of Camp Linden fundraising group.
A conservation easement placed on the property in 2022 now protects it from future development.
What campers do
Each summer, 150 to 200 children, primarily ages 7 through 12, attend a six-week program one day per week at no cost to their families or partner organizations. In 2025, the camp served more than 183 children, according to Camp Linden's website.
Campers walk trails, wade in the Brandywine, catch insects and toads, dig for worms and test water quality. Each child takes swimming lessons at their level. The camp garden holds 12 raised beds, each 4 feet by 12 feet, lined with edible nasturtium flowers. In their first week, campers eat nasturtium, peas, carrots and herbs straight from the beds. By the final week, they harvest produce and help prepare a closing feast.
Who showed up Saturday
State Rep. Christina Sappey (D-158th), whose district includes West Bradford Township, visited Camp Linden for the first time on July 11. "It's not a privilege. It's something we all should have access to at all times," Sappey said of clean water and green space. "Access to clean water, soil and air is part of the Pennsylvania Constitution."
Philip Lindsay of the Philadelphia Ethical Society told attendees the camp gives kids "a big space to play" and a sense of belonging in the woods and along the Brandywine. Sharon Wallace, a society trustee, and Kristen Frentzel, assistant director of conservation and stewardship at the Brandywine Conservancy, also attended. Frentzel explained how the 2022 easement preserves the land while honoring the owner's objectives.
Local groups at the celebration included Girl Scout Troop 19, sponsored by United Marshallton Methodist Church; the Marshallton Conservation Trust; the West Chester Green Team; and the Brandywine Conservancy. Pamela Bastings displayed historical clothing to show visitors what people wore in earlier eras.
Johnston, who joined Camp Linden as an environmental educator in summer 2022 and became executive director in October 2025, said the milestone felt personal. "I feel grateful to introduce them to nature and have them fall in love with it and make them safer swimmers," she said.
How to get involved
Residents can learn more about Camp Linden or donate at camplinden.org.
