“Asbury Grove was established in 1859 as a seasonal camp meeting ground serving Methodist congregations.
Asbury Grove was one of several thousand meeting grounds designed for this purpose in the 19th century. Today, it is among the approximately 100 meeting grounds nationwide that remain intact and continue to hold regular summer meetings.
Originally, no permanent man-made structures were allowed on the site: the campground was laid out with 40 large tents encircling a pulpit and seating area. But beginning in 1875, the tents were replaced by more permanent wooden structures, five of which remain today. The area also includes 153 modest cottages, some of which retain fanciful wooden ornamentation. A handful of dormitories, built by church societies from the member towns, also survive, as does a chapel built in 1884. A library, dining hall, and bakery, all constructed in the early 20th century, remain communal spaces serving residents. The 1894 Tabernacle, the large, open-sided worship space, has recently been restored. Celebrating its sesquicentennial in 2009, the campground continues to function to this day as the site of annual Christian meetings for Methodists as well as other denominations.”
(From the Hamilton-Wenham Chronicle, September 18, 2009)
The following are news articles from the late 19th century about Asbury Grove as PDFs: