A few weeks ago, I invited myself over to the home of the Rev. Doug and Ann Carpenter.

I was on a hunt for old pictures of Eppes Hall

at Camp McDowell, because it is one of three focus areas for the Equipping the Saints campaign. Luckily for me, Doug, the unofficial camp historian, welcomed me in and shared his Camp McDowell treasure trove. There on the dining room table and spilling over into the chairs were dozens, maybe hundreds of photos spanning close to 80 years of memories from Wonderful, Wonderful Camp McDowell. I spent hours listening to Doug share story after story of the people who made camp what it is. 

I grew up at Camp McDowell in the 1990s and 2000s. The highlight reel of my camp memories includes playing four-square in the Rec Hall, listening to Bible stories on the carpet in Eppes Hall, laughing with my friends in the pool, hiking to St. Christopher’s Pool, and praying Compline every night in the chapel while the lightning bugs glowed in the woods.  

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Hearing Doug’s memories is fascinating because while many are similar, some are vastly different. While I slept in the current cement block cabins (now with air conditioning!), in the 1940s and 50s, Doug camped in the original wooden cabins which were old army barracks purchased from Fort McClellan in Anniston, as it was downsizing after World War Two. All 19 original buildings cost the diocese only $1,300, and they were paid for by the pennies Bishop Carpenter collected on his annual parish visitations! They were transported to camp for no charge by members of Grace Church and St. Michael and All Angels of Anniston. 

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The largest of these buildings became camp’s Mess Hall, also known as St. Dunstan’s Hall. The Mess Hall was where campers gathered for meals, participated in Bible studies, put on skits, and received their mail. It was also where the maintenance crew kept their equipment. A true multi-purpose space. This wooden building still stands in between Barnwell cabin and the Health Hut, on the way to the Council House. Nowadays, it’s called Sanford and Son, and it still houses mainte-nance equipment and several well-loved rocking chairs. The camp staff is rehabbing this space as well as the one and only remaining original cabin (Cabin 14), so that these spaces can serve campers once again. 

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As we shuffled through memorabilia, Doug uncovered a photo from a diocesan men’s retreat in 1948. Gentlemen are seated at a table in the Mess Hall, all in their button downs and ties. Besides their stylish dress, the exact same picture could be taken at a table in the current Eppes Hall today. They’re enjoying a dinner of chicken, mashed potatoes, and rolls, all served from the same silver metal platters that campers and students use now.  

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When our current Mess Hall was built in the late 1950s and named for the Rev. B. Scott Eppes, who built and directed camp from its beginning until he retired in 1978, it was used only during the summer months. Now, roughly 75 years later, Summer Camp on Clear Creek and the McDowell Environmental Center use the space year-round. Over 60,000 meals were served in Eppes in 2023, making it the most used facility at camp. Eppes Hall is where children ages 7 to 18 eat their meals, learn about Jesus and creation, and make new and long-lasting friendships. 

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Eppes Hall has seen many iterations in its seven decades. The original window frames were hinged, and the panes could push up and out to allow for airflow. Doug explained to me with a little grin that, unfortunately, people walking past the building regularly hit their heads on the opened windows. New screened windows were installed in the 1990s along with the back deck, wheelchair ramp, and restrooms. Prior to that point, the nearest restrooms were under the swimming pool! In the early 2000s, Mark and Maggie Johnston commissioned an artist to create giant, colorful butterflies to hang from the ceiling of Eppes Hall. This art installation brought the beauty of God’s creation indoors and delighted campers and students for years.  

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Eppes is the heart of Lower Camp, and it’s part of the heart of our diocese. Camping, in all its forms, is integral to our diocesan identity. From Camp McDowell, Sawyerville, Special Session, Foothills, and many Vacation Bible Schools, we have been shaped by camps. Camps are a special time and place set apart where we gather together to hear the word of God, foster new friendships, and share meals together. These meals are not unlike the Holy Eucharist we share every Sunday. Our camps offer us a profound opportunity to live out our faith.