Be sure to visit the Photo tab and click on the 'History' folder to see original pictures of Camp Letico.
The History of Camp Letico
Camp Letico wasn’t always around. The Girl Scout Council of Roselle and Roselle Park, which was founded in 1927, had their offices on top of the bowling alley on Chestnut Street in Roselle before there was Camp Letico. The Girl Scout Council was located here for 27 years until they were forced to find somewhere else to hold their day camp.
In 1954, the Girl Scout Council had to find a new place to hold their day camp, and they did. They found a small part of land that was owned by Roselle at the West End of Roselle. The Girl Scout Council wanted to use that land for their day camp. They had to ask Francis Pitman, who was mayor of Roselle at that time, if they could use the land. Francis Pitman agreed to let the Girl Scout Council use the land. He gave them a 45 year lease starting May 28, 1954.
Well, everything was working out very nicely for the Girl Scout Council except they needed a house or building to go on the land. The Girl Scout Council didn’t have to worry for very long because Francis Pitman wasn’t just the mayor of Roselle; he was also a member of the Roselle/Roselle Park Rotary Club. That meant that he cared about Roselle’s people and the environment of Roselle. Mr. Pitman was offered a two-story home by an attorney who had a house to donate as part of an estate. Mr. Pitman gladly accepted the gift and donated it to the Roselle and Roselle Park Girl Scouts. The house then had to be moved from where it was on East 7th Avenue to the West End of Roselle. On October 14, 1954, the house was moved onto the foundation of the campsite. Many things like the electricity, water line, and sewer connections had to be fixed. The house also had to be painted and have a large meeting room added to the back.
On February 16, 1955, the keys to the building were presented to Elsa W. Loestler, President of the Girl Scout Council of Roselle and Roselle Park at an evening Rotary meeting. At this meeting the building was also named Pitman Hall to honor Francis Pitman because he helped so much on the project.
Facts About Camp Letico
§ Cost of the Girl Scout Project was $1,333.22
§ Camp Letico sits on 6.57 acres of land
§ Girl Scouts have participated in summer camp programs at Camp Letico since 1954
§ Outdoor cooking, outdoor skills, nature studies and overnight camping were part of some of the programs offered at Camp Letico
§ Camp Letico was used by the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts
§ Camp letico doesn’t have an address
§ It is located between 65 and 69 Independence Avenue
The flag that flies over Camp Letico was flown over the United States Capital on Juliette Low’s Birthday, October 31, 2001