Sing Sing Camp-Meeting

This article examines the history of the Sing Sing Camp Meeting, a Methodist religious gathering established in the Hudson River region. According to an 1874 New-York Daily Tribune article, the camp meeting was founded over 40 years prior to provide "a short season of out-door worship during the sultriest portion of the year."

The institution began informally when Wesley disciples gathered in groves near Croton for outdoor religious services. In 1832, the "Mount Pleasant Camp-Meeting Association" purchased land at Sing Sing after determining existing grove locations were inadequate for the expanding community.

The permanent Sing Sing location featured grand oak trees that "thickly covered with foliage, afford the best protection to the worshipers beneath." A spring provided fresh water, and the grounds accommodated approximately 150 tents arranged in organized avenues with a central speaker's stand.

By 1874, the camp-meeting typically drew 3,000 attendees, occasionally reaching 8,000 to 10,000 for principal gatherings.