Next to Jumonville Glen, at the top of Chestnut Ridge, is a beautiful church camp that shares the name Jumonville.  Jumonville Camp is a United Methodist Camp, Conference, and Retreat Center owned by the Western Pennsylvania Conference.  Tom and I decided to check this place out and see what was happening at this United Methodist Camp.

The most distinctive feature of Jumonville Camp is the giant Cross of Christ that sits at the summit of Chestnut Ridge.  The cross is made of white steel and is 60 feet tall and 33 feet across.  It is secured in concrete and designed to withstand winds of 100 mph.  You can walk up to the base of the cross on a paved access road, but it is a steep climb.  From the base, however, you have a wonderful view of the valley and the city of Uniontown.  You can see the skyscrapers of Pittsburgh on a clear day.

Other than the cross, Jumonville Camp is a beautiful set of buildings in a lovely, hilltop location.  There is historic Whyel Chapel, built in the late 1800’s but updated with sound and screens inside.  This is a favorite place for smaller weddings in the area.  The camp has an inn, a dining hall, and various buildings for classes.

During the summer, Jumonville Camp has a full camping program for children.  The week we visited was Camp Counselor Training.  Counselors were hanging out at the volleyball court, the swimming pool, and the gaga ball pit.  This week I met a person at Fort Necessity who had a “John Wesley is my homeboy” shirt.  He was heading to Jumonville Camp as a volunteer adult counselor.  During the rest of the year, Jumonville Camp is used for weekend camps, retreats, and conferences.  It is a beautiful place for any of those things, although I might not think so with several feet of snow on the ground.

Jumonville Camp is a beautiful camp facility on top of the last mountain in the Allegheny Range.  Visiting it made me glad to be part of the United Methodist family.