Camp Washington Carver opened in Fayette County on July 26, 1942, as the first African American 4-H camp in the United States. A 1929 report showed that 44 of the state’s 55 counties had 4-H camps for white children but none for black children. Fleming Adolphus Jones, a black member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, presented the camp’s importance to the Legislature as a place to teach Negro boys and girls the 4-H standard of living, inspire them toward those standards, discover and train them for leadership, and teach excellence in agriculture, soil conservation, vocational agriculture, and home economics. The camp began being used immediately, even before construction was fully completed. Its peak years came during the 1950s, when it accommodated approximately 1,600 campers annually. A camper’s day included nature study, music, drama, crafts, swimming, play time, and evening vespers. Today the site is used for weddings, reunions, festivals, and other gatherings, and its roots remain a landmark for African American unity and achievement.