Exhibit Details
This exhibit will allow you to see some of the resources used by contributors and researchers in developing content for this museum. Who knows… it might help you find something to add to the museum!
Glossary
Display Details
This compendium of HSR terms is still under construction. Check back every so often for a more complete list.
Contributed by Andrew Coe
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | Y | Z
A
Achgeketum Circle – Campfire circle dedicated to G. Ernest Heegard in 1988 in honor of his outstanding service as Camp Director for 29 years at Camp Horseshoe. The circle is used primarily during Saturday Night campfires during the summer camping season as well as during OA weekends.
Allen Forssmark C.O.P.E. Course – see “C.O.P.E. Course”
Allen Memorial Dining Hall – Dining Hall at Camp Horseshoe named for James K. Allen, the president of the Manufacturer’s Casualty Insurance Co. at the time when the company funded a great deal of the initial construction.
Amish Samaritans – Three Amish Samaritans once helped a Camp Horseshoe staff member change his tire as he was traveling back from a day off and this staff member, through the use of Phozzes, memorialized their good deed by naming 3 peripherals areas of the Allen Memorial Dining Hall after them.
Athletic Field – Location at Camp Horseshoe near the Octoraro Creek. This field has been used as the parade field in the past, but is now used as a multipurpose field which also houses the Archery Range.
B
Bayard Taylor – Official name of Taylor campsite at Camp Horseshoe, named after the famous poet and author born in Kennett Square. The site is a Stockade campsite.
Blue Trail – Trail that starts at the OA bridge on the Southern end of the HSR property and loops towards the Blue Bridge and around towards “New Farm”.
Boat Docks – Location for both Horseshoe and Ware in which the aquatics boating programs take place, including canoeing, rowing and kayaking merit badges.
Boomtown – Campwide game often used during inclement weather where Scouts and staff devise games of chance or skill where the object is for the troops to accumulate enough “gold” to win “valuable” prizes in the auction following the games.
Boonesboro – Campsite at Camp Horseshoe which is primarily a Stockade site. This campsite is one of the original camping sites constructed at Camp Horseshoe.
Browning Lodge – Lodge at Camp Horseshoe used primarily for Winter Camping. The lodge was named after Edward Browning, a Scoutmaster from Devon 50.
Buzzard’s Rock – Rock outcropping on the red trail, just North of the new camp road, which is thought to have been used by Native Americans well before the Reynolds Family or Scouts.
C
Campcraft – Location at both Camp Horseshoe and Camp Ware where outdoor skills are honed either for rank advancement, merit badge achievement, leader training courses or just fun and exciting activities.
Chapel – Location at Camp Horseshoe where the Schlaanstine Chapel is located. The Chapel is used primarily during Summer Camp on Sunday for an interfaith service, but also use for faith services during winter camp.
Clifton Lisle – Stockade site at Camp Horseshoe named after Paoli 1 Scoutmaster Colonel Clifton Lisle.
Conestoga – Campsite at Camp Horseshoe where tent and adirondack camping is found. The campsite is located off of the Stockade Trail.
C.O.P.E. Course – Location at both Camp Horseshoe and Camp Ware where team building and trust activities build character in older youth. C.O.P.E. stands for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience. Other activities such as climbing, rappeling and mountain biking are offered. The Camp Horseshoe course is officially titled the Allen Memorial C.O.P.E. Course.
D
Dan Beard – Campsite at the top of the Stockade Trail at Camp Horseshoe. A mixture of tent camping and adirondack camping is found there.
Davy Crockett – Stockade campsite at Camp Horseshoe, named after the American frontiersman and politician of the same name.
Deerslayer – Campsite at Camp Ware with tent camping.
Dining Hall – Location at both Camp Ware and Camp Horseshoe for communal meals. The Camp Horseshoe Dining Hall is commonly called Allen Memorial Dining Hall.
E
Eagle Grove – Location at Camp Horseshoe near the Octoraro Bend where coniferous trees are organized into the shape of an Eagle Claw. This grove was started in the 1930s with Eagle Scouts of Chester County Council planting these trees in honor of their achievement.
Eagle’s Claw – This training program was conducted at Camp Horseshoe for Senior Patrol Leaders prior to their week at camp.
Explorer Base – The original name of the camp currently known as Camp John H. Ware 3rd.
F
Flagpole Hill – Location at Camp Horseshoe at the North End of camp where a very large American flag is flown each day during Summer Camp. In early days, there was no flag on the parade field and few trees on flagpole hill, so the Scouts and staff at evening retreat would salute the flag at Flagpole Hill.
G
Goat Hill – Property adjacent to Camp Horseshoe which is conserved by the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR). Octoraro Lodge #22 has often worked on the trail system with its OA Trail Crew.
Goodman Pavilion – Pavilion located just Northeast of Campcraft at Camp Horseshoe; it was constructed in the late 1990s through funding from the Goodman family.
Green Trail – Trail that circles around the greater part of Camp Ware, starting at just behind the Ranger Office, all the way around to the Boat Docks Trail.
H
Handicraft – Program area at both Camp Ware and Camp Horseshoe where craft skills are developed for merit badge advancement and general fun activities. The Camp Horseshoe Handicraft program is located in the Lower Kindness Center whereas the Camp Ware H-Craft is located in the Handicraft Pavilion next to the Dining Hall.
Hawkeye – Camp Ware tent campsite located just back from Macaleer lodge on the right as one walks towards the pool.
Heartattack Hill – Trail that led from the Octoraro Lodge Building to the Athletic field at Camp Horseshoe. Due to disrepair, erosion and steepness, this trail has been discontinued in favor of the “Murphy Trail”.
Headquarters – Location at both Camp Horseshoe and Camp Ware that serves as the administrative center for each camp. The current Horseshoe HQ has been around since near the beginning of the camp where the current Camp Ware HQ was built in 2003.
Ho Chi Minh Trail – Trail that leads from the auxiliary parking lot behind the New Quonset hut at Camp Horseshoe to the Loop Road near Browning Lodge, just above the Chapel Hill trail.
K
Kindness Center – Large multi-purpose building located at Camp Horseshoe, used for indoor program during inclement weather as well as the permanent Handicraft department location (basement).
Kit Carson – Stockade Campsite at Camp Horseshoe named after American Frontiersman Christopher Houston “Kit” Carson.
L
Lane House – Residence located at the entrance to Camp Horseshoe that was acquired by Chester County Council and turned into permanent housing for retired Camp Ranger Roy Cole.
Lawrence Lodge – lodge built at the original Explorer Base (now Camp Ware) that is used for winter camping and merit badge instruction during the summer.
Leatherstocking – Camp Ware tent campsite located back from the Nature Lodge and the swimming pool.
M
Mason-Dixon Marker – Marker placed by surveyors Mason and Dixon and is currently found on the HSR property behind the Archery Range.
McIlvaine Lodge – Winter camping cabin named after camp architect J. Gibson McIlvaine.
Mohican – Camp Ware tent campsite located directly back from the swimming pool.
Natureheart – Originally, this was its own standalone campsite in Camp Horseshoe, however it is now used primarily by large troops who stay in its “mother” campsite Dan Beard.
Nature Lodge – see “Roberts Lodge“.
Octoraro Campsite – Campsite located at Camp Horseshoe which is a tent campsite. It is located just North of the Allen Memorial Pool.
Octoraro Creek – The body of water that cuts through the HSR property, separating Camp Horseshoe and Camp Ware. The term “Octoraro” stands for “Muddy Water” in the Lenni-Lenape language.
Octoraro Lodge – The unit of the Order of the Arrow that serves Chester County Council and specifically HSR. Members are primarily from Chester County Council though many others are registered members from other councils. These are honored campers who have at minimum completed an Ordeal to become brothers in the OA.
Pathfinder – Camp Ware tent campsite located just past the swimming pool on the right.
Pole Barn – Location at Camp Horseshoe where a lot of camp equipment is stored.
Polish Jamboree – Conducted in 1988, this program brought the Polish Scouts in Exile to Camp Horseshoe and Ware to celebrate the world movement of Scouting with their American counterparts.
Quonset Hut – Maintenance huts at Camp Horseshoe (2) and Camp Ware (1) that are used for maintenance and equipment storage.
Red Trail – Hiking trail located to the North of Camp Horseshoe that winds from the new camp road past Buzzards Rock, along the Octoraro Creek, and past the Camp Horseshoe Boat Docks.
Richardson – a tent campsite at Camp Horseshoe that was located near Boonesboro and Carson campsites, its use has since been discontinued.
Roberts Campsite – an adirondack campsite at Camp Horseshoe that is just North of Roberts Lodge and just East of Achgeketum circle. The campsite is named after camp benefactor and Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts.
Roberts Lodge – a winter camping lodge that is also used as the program area for the Ecology and Conservation (Nature) department of Camp Horseshoe during the summer. The lodge is named after camp benefactor and Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts.
Rothrock Campsite – a summer camping tent site at Camp Horseshoe that is named after Dr. Joseph Rothrock, chairman of the Council Camping Committee at the time Camp Rothrock was created.
Rothrock Lodge – a winter camping lodge that is named after Dr. Joseph Rothrock, chairman of the Council Camping Committee at the time Camp Rothrock was created.
S
Sandy Flash – the name of a stockade in the Bayard Taylor campsite. Sandy Flash was a Robin Hood-esque character from Revolutionary War-era Chester County.
Schlaanstine Memorial Chapel – see “Chapel“.
Shawana – Originally a campsite at Camp Horseshoe just to the West of the Heistand Pool, it has since been discontinued as a campsite due to frequent flooding.
Sherwood Forest – Campsite at Camp Horseshoe that is primarily a Stockade Site. It is one of the original stockade sites created near the beginning of Camp Horseshoe’s history.
Shooting Sports – A department for both Camp Horseshoe and Camp Ware, it comprises all activities related to archery, BB, rifle or shotgun shooting or other “shooting sports”as the name suggests. This department sometimes is referred to as Field Sports.
Special Camporee – Weekend summer program at Camp Ware that focuses on Special Needs campers. The program was started in 1990 and originally sponsored by Octoraro Lodge 22.
S.T.E.M. – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, this program began as an offshoot of the Nature department at Camp Horseshoe in 2014.
Stockade – A small cabin used at Camp Horseshoe that contains 8 bunk beds for campers. Campsites that have stockades include Sherwood Forest, Boonesboro, Crockett, Kit Carson, Bayard Taylor and Col. Clifton Lisle, though Lisle has a modified version with a much bigger landing deck in the cabin.
Stoltzfus Porch – A porch of the Allen Memorial Dining Hall at Camp Horseshoe that was on the South Side of the Dining Hall. This porch was removed during the 2011 Dining Hall expansion. The porch was named for an Amish samaritan (see “Amish Samaritans“).
Taylor Campsite – see “Bayard Taylor“.
Timberline – Campsite at Camp Horseshoe that is primarily tent camping. The campsite is located at the top of the Heistand Pool Trail and just across from the Allen Memorial Dining Hall.
Trader Bill’s – common name of the Camp Horseshoe Trading Post opened in 2006, named after longtime benefactor and Reservation Manager William R. Hess.
Trapper – Camp Ware tent campsite locate near the Nature Lodge.
Trailblazers – First Year Camper Experience at Camp Horseshoe, specifically designed to introducer new campers to all the Camp Horseshoe program areas as well as go after significant rank advancement.
Underwater Bridge – Cement bridge constructed at the bottom of the Octoraro Creek that can be used by off-road vehicles for crossing from Camp Horseshoe to Ware or vice versa when the creek water level is low enough. The area is also called Gray’s Hallow Ford.
Y
Yellow Trail – Hiking trail that starts at the Chapel Trail, goes past Schraam Lodge down the old camp road, up past the old paper mill, up past the hay field near the Pole Barn, along the new camp road, then off towards the Schlaanstine Memorial Chapel and ending at the same spot as the beginning.
Z
Zimmerman Porch – Porch of the Allen Memorial Dining Hall that is located to the East Side of the Dining Hall. Named after an Amish samaritan (see “Amish Samaritans“).
Zook Lawn – Field just South of the Allen Memorial Dining Hall that is often used for a meeting area after a meal has finished. Named after an Amish samaritan (see “Amish Samaritans“).
Research Assistance
Display Details
Here is a listing of some great research sites for Scouting.
- World Scouting Museum – located in Charleston, WV, the World Scouting Museum also has a website with many artifacts.
- Chester County History Museum – located in West Chester, the museum also has a sizeable presence online with much to see.
Tour Stops
History Tour 3
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© Horseshoe Scout Reservation Alumni Association 2025