Keeping the charm and preserving history at Wentz Camp

Preservation work is being done on the historic cabins at Wentz Camp.

Park and Recreation Director Eric Newell spoke to Ponca City’s Historic Preservation Advisory Panel Thursday with an update on restoration work underway at Wentz Pool and Camp.

Newell said an urgent project is underway to protect the historic cabins in the camp area. The work includes masonary sealing of cabin walls. Four of 12 cabins have been treated and are now water-tight, and metal doors and frames have been replaced. Additional cabins will be treated and repaired as funding becomes available, he said. Funding for the first repairs came from Capital Improvement Funds.

Work is also being done on the grounds and landscaping of the entire property, with Park and Recreation staff  clearing overgrown trees and brush, to create clear views of Lake Ponca that have been hidden.

Newell said the grounds are now one of the most attractive sites in the area and would be ideal for outdoor weddings.

A historic photo of the Wentz Camp mess hall taken in the camp’s early days, probably in the 1930s.

A picture taken recently at the Wentz Camp mess hall after removal of overgrown trees and brush. Three deer can be seen in the foreground.