Secrets of Seneca County Historical Driving Tour | Camp Pittinger

Embark on a captivating journey through the wondrous past of Seneca County, Ohio, with the Secrets of Seneca County Historical Driving Tour! The next stop on the journey is: Camp Pittinger (8877 S Township ROad 131, McCutchenville, OH 44844, Stop #16)

The Northwestern Ohio Christian Youth Camp property (remembered by many as Camp Pittenger) is of local significance through its vibrant history as a YMCA camp from 1931 to 1978, when it was sold and became NWOCYC. First known as Camp Sandusky (established by the Findlay YMCA in 1931), the property became Camp Pittenger when purchased by the Tiffin YMCA in 1938.

What truly sets Camp Pittenger apart is the amazing and important history with disabled campers. From 1940 to 1978 the Ohio Society for Crippled Children (OSCC, which became the Easter Seals) operated an annual camping program at Camp Pittenger for disabled children and teenagers. Each August, for nearly four decades, campers with physical and intellectual disabilities lived in community, participated in adaptive recreation, and built connections with other disabled peers from across the state of Ohio. 

 Excited to uncover this rich history of Camp Pittenger, Northwestern Ohio Christian Youth Camp has been re-establishing relationships with locals and recording oral histories from former campers and staff in order to preserve their stories for future generations. In addition, to honor the mid-century YMCA and Easter Seals histories, the current owners of the camp recently applied for and were awarded a national designation of historical significance. As of January 2024, the nearly unchanged built environment of the site of Camp Pittenger is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

To see what’s happening at NWOCYC these days, you can visit their website at www.nwocyc.org, or find them on Facebook at Northwestern Ohio Cyc. In addition, a Camp Pittenger Reunion page on Facebook is very active and full of shared memories from former Camp Pittenger participants. Lastly, the Camp Board of Directors is currently pursuing funds to restore Tappan Lodge, originally constructed in 1940. If you know of resources that might assist them in this preservation goal, please contact Jeff Endicott, Board President, at 567-208-7353.