In 1949 Parrish Clodfelter of Springfield Meeting told the pastor, Milton Hadley, about a 104 acre farm with a 5 acre lake on it which was for sale in Climax. The price was $12,600. Milton Hadley and Virgil Pike, then pastor of Oak Hill Meeting, visited Maiseybrook Farm (as it was called), and were enthusiastic about what they found.
They contacted the owner, who Virgil Pike knew, and he was so interested in having his farm used for a youth camp that he gave them a 30 day option on the place.
Virgil Pike and Milton Hadley decided to get 13 men to loan $1,000 each to buy the property. Their approach seemed to be the right one; the money was raised, and the purchase was made.
In October 1949 a number of interested Friends met at the farm and named it Quaker Lake. Then came two fortunate “breaks.” Walter and Anna Coble offered to sell three nice cabins to Quaker Lake for $50.00 each. These were purchased and moved to the farm. Then Centre Meeting offered to sell for a small sum a hut which had been used for Sunday School classes, but which was no longer needed. This was also purchased and moved to its present site. Ed and Beatrice Gruen of the Greensboro Meeting gave the Quonset hut, which was first used for a boys’ dorm and now as a craft shop. A bath house was built where the owner’s cottage had formerly stood. With much volunteer labor, the buildings were soon put into useable shape, and groups began to have meetings at Quaker Lake.”
The large picnic shelter at Quaker Lake was built by men from Springfield. Many members of Springfield have served on the Board, while dozens of young adults have served as counselors, and hundreds of children have gone as campers.