Camp White Rock was established in the 1930’s when Eugene B Cooper of Winchester, VA and his family first camped at the site. He had his Boy Scout Camp there each year. In the 1930’s the American Legion Auxiliary sponsored a Girl Scout Troop in Winchester; Mrs. Alison D. Cooper was an active Troop Committee member, she arranged with her husband Eugene Cooper to have the Girl Scouts camp after the Boy Scouts. Mr. Eugene Cooper named the site “White Rock”, for the large white rock on the west side of the river by the unit Bluff.
The Coopers maintained and rented the camp during the Depression, the Coopers
bought the lumber and the WPA built an outhouse for the Cooper Cabin and the scouts use. The outhouse took four men one week to dig the pit and construct the building. After it was completed to the Cooper’s amazement, it was painted “silver” inside and out, tacked to the door was instructions for its care. The instructions were signed by Eleanor Roosevelt. It was ever after and still is called “The Eleanor Roosevelt”. To my knowledge it still exists.
The Winchester Girl Scout Council under the leadership of Dudley Lichlider purchased the property on June 13, 1952 from Mrs. Virginia Grimm. It consisted of 138 acres. In June of 1952 the Girl Scouts also purchased the Cooper Cabin.
In 1957 a shower and laundry room was built, in 1961 a modern kitchen and dinning hall were built on.
In 1963 it became the main resident Camp for the newly merged Shawnee Girl Scout Council.
Through the efforts of Sally and Tate Simpson and several other volunteers a pool was added. The building became T shaped in 1977; additions were added to each side, a director’s quarters and trading post. The building was named for Dudley Lichlider, a Winchester resident who spear headed the purchase and development of Camp White Rock.
Riverview property adjacent to Camp was purchased in 1978 from Russell B. Oates.
In 1997 a new nature Center was dedicated in honor of James Hewitt. In 1993 rededication of Cooper Lodge, honoring Eugene B. and Alison D. Cooper family.
White Rock consists of five units, Pioneer, Sherwood, Dogwood, Bluff and Hemlock.
There is primitive camping as well.
In 2010, Shawnee Council merged to become a camp in the Girl Scouts Nation's Capital.
source: S Jones, Archives Committee, Shenadoah Region, GSCNC
