Camp Mataponi (formerly known as Highland Nature Camps
) is an all-girls sleepaway camp in
Naples,
Maine,
United States for girls approximately 7 to 15 years old. The camp is situated on
Sebago Lake and accounts for over 5,000 feet of lakefront property. Camp Mataponi has grown to accommodate about 500 campers. Originally, the camp was called Highland Nature Camps. In the 1940s, it was renamed to Camp Mataponi by new owners Morton J. Goldman owner of Camp Takajo, and Samuel and Lee Kessler, of Teaneck NJ, who also served as head counselors. The extraordinary culture and proud traditions of Camp Mataponi were thus born. The name Mataponi is of the Virginia Native American Tribe, historically located near the Mata, Po, and Ni Rivers.
It was founded in 1910 by
Eugene Lehman, his wife Madeleine Davidsburg Lehman, and Estelle B. Davidsburg as Highland Nature Camps.
Mostly visited by distinguished Jewish families and from people from
New York City, it was a nonsectarian all-girls summer camp.
In 1926, the camp had
rifle shooting
Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such as ...
as an activity.
In 1935, the camp ran between mid-June and September.
To allow campers to both do sports and learn scholarly subjects, the affiliated Highland Manor School ran classes.
The current directors of the camp are Marcy and Dan Isdaner.
Some activities at Camp Mataponi include:
water sports,
high ropes
A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or above the ground. High elements are usually constructed in tre ...
,
baseball,
archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
,
boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...
, and water
trampoline. ''
Business Insider'' in 2012 included Camp Mataponi on an "Absurdly Expensive Summer Camps" list, noting that students had to pay $10,400. ''Business Insider'' said the camp's lunch salad bar has 30 choices, and it hosted themed barbecues every week with names like "Under the Sea", "Funky Princess Super Hero", "Western night", and “Barbie”.
In September 2023, the camp opened up its doors to the 8th grade class of Shore Country Day School, located in Beverly, MA. Students arrived before lunch on Wednesday, September 6, and left shortly after lunch on Friday, September 8. The 39 students indulged in many fun activities, slept in bunks, and bonded with classmates and teachers during their short stay at camp Mataponi.
References
External links
Official website
Organizations established in 1910
Mataponi
Buildings and structures in Cumberland County, Maine
Naples, Maine
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