Sterling Camp Meeting Grounds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sterling Camp Meeting Grounds, also known at the Worcester Methodist District Camp was a Methodist camp ground founded in 1852[1][2] that was located south of the East and West Waushacum Ponds and two miles south of Sterling, Massachusetts.[3][4] The 14-mile Fitchburg and Worcester Rail Line brought visitors to Sterling Junction, which was a short walk to the Sterling Camp Meeting Grounds.[2] The Boston and Maine Railroad brought people from Boston, Lowell, and Cambridge for the one week to 10-day retreats. More than 1,000 people attended the summer revivals from all over the state of Massachusetts. The site had a number of amenities for lodging, meals, and services.
| Part of a series on |
| Methodism |
|---|
 |
 Christianity portal |
The concept of camp meetings began on the western frontier, and the Methodists brought them to the eastern side of the United States. The first Methodist revival camp was held in Haddam, Connecticut in 1802. The Methodist movement (the Second Great Awakening of the 19th century) was progressive regarding the role of women in the church and slavery. The Methodists encouraged membership of the working poor in their churches. A fundamental belief was that all people could be saved, regardless of their sins or backgrounds.[5]
During camp meetings there were nearly continuous services. Rev. Sarah Mount described what the religious revival camps of the 19th century and early 20th century were like:
Imagine traveling to a lovely three-acre grove of trees, cleared of all underbrush, where tents for sleeping are standing in an oblong square, or a circle. Behind the tents are carriages, wagons and tethered horses. Cooking fires are placed just outside the tent flaps. In the center of the tents, there is a stage in front of a semicircle of benches, one section for the women and another for the men. At night this tent ground is illuminated by candles.[5]