CHESTERFIELD — Camp Chesterfield, the historic home of the Indiana Association of Spiritualists, has been named among the state's 10 most endangered sites by Indiana Landmarks.
Indiana Landmarks, which compiles the annual list, attributed the designation to a shrinking congregation and budget that have left the camp’s 65 buildings underused.
“We hope the 10 most listing will expose Camp Chesterfield to a wider audience and help the Indiana Association of Spiritualists identify redevelopment opportunities,” said J.P. Hall, director of Indiana Landmarks’ eastern office. Indiana Landmarks is statewide non-profit preservation organization.
Leaders at Camp Chesterfield see the designation as positive, said the Rev. Vicki Corkell, president of the board of trustees at the camp.
"The board really, as a whole, sees this as a wonderful opportunity," she said. "Landmarks historically has been so instrumental in helping Indiana historic structures to find solutions, look at things outside the box and create avenues for resources that we might not have access to," Corkell said.
Camp Chesterfield, located on the north side of the town of Chesterfield, dates back more than 120 years and is currently the home to clairvoyants, mediums and other spiritual healers.
In 1855, seven years after Spiritualism was named, John and Mary Ellen Bussel Westerfield turned to contacting the spirit of their deceased son, John, 14, through a medium. In 1883, the couple and friends traveled to a Spiritualist camp called Frazier's Grove near Vicksburg, Mich. They would later found an Indiana Association of Spiritualists. In 1886, John Westerfield called a mass meeting of Indiana Spiritualists and the Indiana Association of Spiritualists was formed. The group elected officers for 1887 and has held meetings ever since.
Indiana's most endangered
Each year, Indiana Landmarks names its 10 Most Endangered sites. Seven new locations have been named, including Camp Chesterfield. The six other new sites are:
• I.O.O.F-United Brethren Block, Huntington
• Former First Presbyterian Church and Lafayette Building, South Bend
• McCurdy Hotel, Evansville
• Rivoli Theater, Indianapolis
• Indiana Medical History Museum, Indianapolis
• Elks Building, Bedford
Landmarks on the list from the previous year include:
• Mills House, Greenwood
• McDonald House, Attica
• Indiana County Homes, sometimes called "poor farms"