Francis and Marion were the kind of people who chafed at being told what to do. It was natural, then, for them to decide that they wanted their own summer camp. A sailing camp - which meant they needed to be on a lake. It had to be reachable from New York. And they needed enough space to do big projects. We don't know much about how they found South Hero. We do know that the land had a log cabin dating to early settlement, and a two- story farmhouse with an attached woodshed. It was a start.
They converted the woodshed to a kitchen. They took out the woodstove in the middle of the house and Marion built a whimsical fireplace, meant to look like an elephant with it's chimney trunk raised. They cut through one wall of the house and attached the "assembly hall" - a large open space with a balcony at the far end. There was room enough for dances and dinners. They hung a maroon velvet curtain in the opening and the living room became a stage. Two dozen wooden camp chairs were delivered from Macy's at 25¢ apiece - seating for parents and campers. They added a smaller dining room next to the kitchen. Marion created an advertising flyer. Then they waited...
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