Camp Yeomalt Cabin
The Camp Yeomalt Cabin features a large stone fireplace and an open beam ceiling.
900 Park Ave. NE
1200 Sq.Ft.
Maximum Capacity: 50
There is a small performance stage and benches for seating. The cabin has electric lighting and outlets but no indoor plumbing. Restrooms in the adjacent Camp Yeomalt Classroom are available for use during rental. The cabin also features a small patio area with an outdoor fireplace available for use when there are no burn bans.
To check rental availability: 206-842-2302
History
This beautiful and historic log cabin was originally constructed as a Boy Scout camp. Unemployed island residents built this structure in 1935 through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. The cabin was built of mostly local materials and served as a scout camp for generations of Bainbridge Islanders. In 1942, the camp was used as the US Army 202nd Coast Artillery’s Bainbridge Island headquarters. At that time, a bathhouse was constructed where the Camp Yeomalt Classroom stands today.
In 1987, ownership of the camp was transferred to the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District from the Camp Hopkins Youth Committee and the Boy Scouts. In 2000, the center was renamed from Camp Major Hopkins to Camp Yeomalt Park. An anonymous donor provided funding to begin planning for the park’s future in 2003. Two years later, Team Yeomalt, a group of volunteers with expertise in Preservation, log construction, traditional building technology, and local history, formed when the Park District sought preservation assistance for the deteriorated cabin. Due to Team Yeomalt’s efforts, the camp was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Team Yeomalt began a fundraising drive to rehabilitate and restore the cabin to its original condition.
The cabin was restored using authentic materials and methods. Among these efforts, hand-hewn Douglas Fir was selectively harvested and then removed from the forest with old-fashioned horsepower. Master artisans used the opportunity to teach their skills in stonemasonry, log debarking, and cabin construction to volunteers who helped complete the complicated work.
The Cabin Today
Today, this cabin is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Bainbridge Island volunteers and the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District, who worked to preserve this historic structure. Because of their efforts, Camp Yeomalt cabin is again used for various programs; youth camping and scouting activities, community performances, classes, and educational heritage.
Private donors provided funding for the restoration, the Washington State Heritage Capital Projects Fund, the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District, the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation, the Hare Raisers, etc. 4-H Club, the Bainbridge Island Rotary Club, the City of Bainbridge Island, the Bainbridge Island Community Endowment, the Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities Council, the Suquamish Tribe Article X Community Grant, and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation.