A Camp with Youth in Mind.
Established in 1929.
Our Mission is to provide the youth of Chautauqua County with an excellent, safe, handicap accessible, up-to-date Camping Facility open year round.
The facilities provide opportunity for study of nature and the environment, swimming, hiking, camping, games, sports and fun outdoors. Youth groups using Camp Gross are enabled to advance their goals of personal growth in knowledge, skills and attitude. The Youth Groups provide their own program, leadership and insurance. All Youth Groups are welcome to come to Camp Gross; our fees are kept as low as possible.
History
We believe that youth camping at Camp Gross started in the 1920’s under the sponsorship of the Dunkirk Rotary Club.
Camp Gross came into the possession of Robert gross in the late 1920’s. Mr. Gross was an industrialist and Banker in Dunkirk, New York.
In 1929, Mr. Gross gave the part of the Camp that extends from Route 60 N. to upper Cassadaga Lake to the Lake Shore Council Boy Scouts with the provision that if the Boy Scouts no longer wanted the property, it was to go to the Boys and Girls of Chautauqua County. Ann Miller’s family gave the balance of the Camp Gross 55 acres in the mid-1930’s.
In 1987, the Scout Council determined that they no longer wanted the Camp. A not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Corporation was set up by interested members of the community to take over the operation of Camp Gross for the Boys and Girls of Chautauqua County. Robert Graham, Robert Maytum, Ann Miller and August Jankowski were instrumental in this effort. A very active and interested board was established and has continued steady involvement to maintain and improve Camp Gross.
Ongoing Improvements
In 1987 we found Camp Gross in need of many renovations to all the facilities to bring them up to standard. In that year, the Chautauqua County Health Department and the Pomfret Building Inspector closed the camp for health and safety violations. Our original board immediately responded by correcting these pressing problems and upon re-inspection, Camp Gross was re-opened.
Five of our seven heated cabins are now handicap accessible. Two Adirondack shelters were built along with two picnic shelters. Six of our seven heated cabins now have both front and back doors for safety purposes with handicap ramp; the other two cabins have emergency exits through low windows. All cabins have been rewired.
These and other improvements, including a new bath house with showers and toilets, and the renovated fishing and swimming docks, were only possible because of generous individual, community and local foundation support, in addition to the hard work of our volunteers and directors.
