Signs, Signs, Everywhere There’s Signs! I

Not having done a series in awhile, we thought it might be nice to take a look at some of the Reservation’s signs. Some are gone, some have changed, but all are very “camp.”

The first sign this week is a relic of a by-gone age. When Parnell was a working resident camp, for many, many years it had a “fenced” area near the dining hall. A picnic table was placed here every summer and for a number of years a “Visitors’ Rest” sign was hung here. The Visitors’ Rest sign was unique though in that it was made of twisted vines and branches.

Here is the sign in its final days. Taken in 2002, the sign was left up after Parnell stopped being a resident camp. Much like the “Greater Camp Parnell” sign, the Visitors’ Rest sign has receded into the shadows of history. For a time though, it was an important marker of a place for staff meetings, breaks from basketball, or a place to just hang out.

The Parnell Visitors’ Rest Sign, 2002. Photo by Kerry Parker.