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Camp David

Buildings and structures in Frederick County, MarylandContinuity of government in the United StatesExecutive branch of the government of the United StatesHouses completed in 1935Houses in Frederick County, Maryland
National Park Service Rustic architecturePresidency of Dwight D. EisenhowerPresidential residences in the United StatesRustic architecture in MarylandSouth Mountain Range (Maryland−Pennsylvania)Thurmont, MarylandUnited States Navy installationsUse mdy dates from July 2018White House Military OfficeWorks Progress Administration in Maryland
Laurel Cabin, Camp David 2012
Laurel Cabin, Camp David 2012

Camp David is a 125-acre (51-hectare) country retreat for the president of the United States. It lies in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) north-northwest of the national capital city, Washington, D.C. It is code-named Naval Support Facility Thurmont. Technically a military installation, it is staffed primarily by the Seabees, the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), the United States Navy, and the United States Marine Corps. Naval construction battalions are tasked with Camp David construction and send detachments as needed. Originally known as Hi-Catoctin, Camp David was built as a retreat for federal government agents and their families by the Works Progress Administration. Construction started in 1935 and was completed in 1938. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt converted it to a presidential retreat and renamed it "Shangri-La", after the fictional Himalayan paradise. Camp David received its present name in 1953 from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, in honor of his father and his grandson, both named David. The Catoctin Mountain Park does not indicate the location of Camp David on park maps due to privacy and security concerns, although it can be seen through the use of publicly accessible satellite images, and is also viewable on certain public web mapping services like Google Maps.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Camp David (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 39.648333333333 ° E -77.465 °
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Address


21780
Maryland, United States
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Laurel Cabin, Camp David 2012
Laurel Cabin, Camp David 2012
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Nearby Places

Camp Greentop
Camp Greentop

Camp Greentop is located in Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont, Maryland. The camp was built by the Works Progress Administration labor program in the development of what was then known as the Catoctin Mountain Recreational Demonstration Area, and comprises 22 rustic log buildings including sleeping cabins, administrative buildings and lodges. All were built between 1934 and 1938. The buildings are a simplified version of the National Park Service Rustic style. The camp was originally to duplicate the design of Camp Misty Mount, but was modified during construction for use by the Baltimore League for Crippled Children, making it one of the first handicap-accessible facilities in the United States. "From 1957 through 1996, every student in Frederick County enjoyed the opportunity to make a national park their school". Students stayed in the cabins while taking advantage of this outdoor school as part of Frederick County's Outdoor School program. The camp was designed to accommodate 150 people, organized into units of 30. As a matter of policy, a swimming pool was provided, as no natural alternative existed. The cabins with siding exteriors used "waney board" siding, with boards cut from untrimmed logs, resulting in irregular, wavy or "waney" edges. The design modifications at Greentop to accommodate handicapped children reduced capacity to 98. Greentop is also known as Camp 2: Camp 1 is Camp Misty Mount and Camp 3, originally called Camp Hi-Catoctin and located at a much higher elevation, became Camp David. Camp Greentop Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.