Camp Washington-Carver

Camp Washington-Carver is a beautiful retreat listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This Fayette County complex is a group of buildings and facilities that have achieved exceptional importance within the past 50 years as the focus of cultural activities and events significant in West Virginia’s black history. Originally named The Negro 4-H Camp when it was dedicated in 1942, Washington-Carver served from 200 to 1,600 black youth in vocational agriculture, soil conservation, home economics and 4-H standards. It survives today as a well-preserved example of one of West Virginia’s most ambitious Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects. The camp was renamed by West Virginia State College for Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. Continued use of Camp Washington-Carver for educational and entertainment purposes was assured in 1979 when ownership of the complex was passed to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

Programs like the African-American Heritage Arts Camp and the Appalachian String Band Festival, along with the camp's Great Chestnut Lodge, the largest log structure of its kind in the world, make this site a favorite place for Mountain State festivities.

Camp Washington-Carver, a Mountain Cultural Arts Center located at Clifftop in Fayette County, West Virginia, programs a summer season of events from music concerts to theater. The facility may also be rented for family reunions, company picnics, weddings and other private activities.