From the outset, Lutherland was promoted not only as a summer retreat but as a year-round destination for religious conferences, youth programs, and leisure activities, a place that blended the mission of Christian fellowship with the amenities of a Pocono resort.
The year was 1927. Lutherland announced that, after four years of preparation, a $300,000 bond issue would fund further development, including new hotels, improved roads, and expanded recreational facilities. The first major additions were Forest Lodge (1927) and Pocohanne Lodge (1928), substantial timber-and-stone guest buildings connected by a central dining facility. These lodges were joined by a casino-style recreation hall, a theater, a library, a post office, rustic guest cabins, and the creation of Lake Tamaqua, ringed by camps designed for different age groups.
At the turn of the 20th century, the Northeast was alive with the belief that nature itself could heal. Doctors in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston often prescribed more than pills — they prescribed a journey. Patients were told to “take the waters” at one of the many mineral springs scattered across the region, where the earth’s own chemistry bubbled up in a glass or steamed in a bath.
Some of the most famous destinations were Saratoga Springs in New York, where visitors strolled from one ornate pavilion to another, sipping from glasses that tasted faintly of iron or sulfur. Bedford Springs in Pennsylvania drew presidents and industrialists alike, its waters rich with iron and limestone, said to restore vigor to the weary. In the Poconos, quieter but no less charming retreats flourished, springs tucked into shady groves, often attached to hotels that promised fresh mountain air, spring-fed water, and hearty meals to rebuild the constitution.
It was during this same golden age of restorative travel that Lake Naomi began to attract summer visitors. Though not a mineral spring in the traditional sense, Naomi’s clean, glacially fed waters were marketed as “pure tonic for body and spirit.” Guests at nearby lodges and cottages swam, rowed, and sailed, breathing in the resin-scented pine air, which was said to be “as curative as any sulfur draught.” Just a short carriage ride away, travelers could find small springs — some tapped by farm families for their own use, others feeding modest health resorts, where the taste of the water hinted at unseen minerals working their magic.
The draw was as much about escape as cure. A businessman from Newark might spend mornings in a spring-fed bath, afternoons fishing in Naomi’s still waters, and evenings on a porch listening to the whip-poor-will’s call. In an era when urban air was choked with coal smoke and the pace of life was quickening, the mountains and their waters offered a slow, deliberate kind of healing. Whether or not the iron or sulfur truly cured rheumatism or “nervous exhaustion,” visitors went home sun-browned, rested, and convinced that the cure had worked.
In 1923, Lutheran church leaders from metropolitan New York and New Jersey began envisioning a retreat where children and families could escape urban life and immerse themselves in Christian fellowship. Their vision took shape on May 12, 1926, when the Lutheran Conference and Camp Association purchased more than 1,300 acres of wooded land in Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania, where the Pocono Pines Assembly and Summer School once stood which was later repurposed by the U.S. Government as a rehabilitation center for World War I veterans that burned down in 1926.
In August 1926, a deal was finalized with the Miller estate for the sale and transfer of Rufus Miller’s property in Pocono Pines to the Lutheran Conference and Camp Association (LCCA) for a planned Pocono Mountain community promoted by New York and Philadelphia Lutherans. The agreement, managed by the Stroudsburg Realty Company, added ,000 worth of land to the project. Lutherland already had 1,700 lots leased for 99 years, with leaseholders required to build homes. Plans included a 400-student missionary training college, a nearly 200-acre lake formed by damming Beaver Creek, and a vision to match Stroudsburg in building count within three years. The development encompassed 1,456 acres, combining Miller’s 116 acres, 300 acres from the former Pocono Pines Assembly, and 1,040 acres from Frank Meckes. Lutherland aimed to operate as a self-sufficient city with its own governance and finances.
The Association acquired the property from the former Pocono Pines Assembly Hotels Corporation (Rufus Miller) and neighboring owners. The purchase included hotels, cottages, and about thirty other buildings. The former Pocono Pines Inn, which had once served as the centerpiece of the Assembly, had been destroyed by fire earlier in 1926 while operating as a government training school. The acquisition was financed through the sale of memberships to Lutherans across the region, and within the first year, about 1,500 members had joined, membership sales alone exceeding the original purchase price.
The Lutherans would name the destination Lutherland, and under the leadership of layman Henry A. Dahlen, it quickly evolved into a vibrant Christian retreat and conference center. Rev. Herbert Gailmann became its first full-time manager, and by 1929, radio evangelist Dr. Walter A. Maier was serving as summer dean, giving the site a strong theological presence.
It’s very likely “Lutherland” was inspired by names like Wonderland or Neverland, suggesting a magical, playful place like Disneyland. Some oral traditions even suggest that the name might have originated from a child’s mispronunciation or reinterpretation of “Wonderland,” which was eventually adopted affectionately by the owners. Lutheran vacationers from 2,000 congregations came to enjoy the resort’s hotels, lake, youth camps, and family cottages on a sprawling estate. A bit of a mystery name for a place that lived on in memory more than maps, but we’ll keep digging.
Lutherland was neither a hotel nor a traditional lodge. Rather, it was a family-run summer boarding house and children’s camp, known for its rustic cabins, open-air porches, and playful spirit. Families from the Philadelphia area, New Jersey, and New York City would come to Lutherland for a few weeks, or even the entire summer, seeking fresh air, escape from the city, and above all, simplicity.
At its peak, Luutherland offered a slice of idyllic Americana: children played lawn games, explored forest trails, and swam in Lake Tamaque and nearby Lake Naomi, while parents enjoyed card games on screened porches or sat in Adirondack chairs with a paperback and a lemonade. Meals were served communally, fostering friendships and traditions that lasted generations. Word of mouth, not glossy brochures, was what filled its rooms each summer.
The property itself was modest but full of charm, wood-framed structures, hand-painted signs, and a main house that served as the heart of the retreat. It was named not for a local landmark or famous founder, but for its spirit: a land of laughter and leisure. Some say the name “Lutherland” came from a child’s mispronunciation of “Wonderland.” Others claim it was simply the owners’ way of signaling that this was a land meant for play.
A new lake, Lake Tamaqua, was created along Beaver Creek, around which three summer camps were established: Camp Chickagami for boys, Camp Na-Wa-Kwa for girls, and Camp Beaverbrook for young adults. Over 1,500 acres were also set aside for a cottage community, where families leased building sites under 99-year terms. Many of these homes still stand, a living testament to Lutherland’s legacy.
In the Lutherland of the 1940s and ’50s, the word “casino” didn’t mean slot machines or blackjack tables. The phrase “casino” originated from the old Italian word, referring to a place for social gathering, amusement, and relaxation. And that’s exactly what the Casino at Lutherland was: a community hall, a summer stage, and a memory-maker for generations of guests.
Each summer evening, after long days of horseback riding, swimming in Lake Naomi, or meandering through pine-shaded trails, families would gather at the Casino. Its wooden frame echoed with footfalls and music, its screened windows glowing from within as fireflies danced outside. Inside, the Casino came alive.
There were square dances and talent shows, complete with makeshift costumes and piano accompaniment. Children put on skits, nervous and giggling, while parents clapped from folding chairs. Rainy afternoons saw the space transformed into a game room, with checkers on card tables and jigsaw puzzles in progress. On Saturday nights, the Casino became the place for grown-ups to socialize, swap stories over coffee, or join a friendly game of bridge.
Finally, a short rail spur, not part of the DL&W, was operated by the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad and served local stops including Naomi Pines (Lake Naomi), Pocono Lake, Crescent Lake, and Stroudsburg. Lake Naomi (Pocono Pines), however, was not directly on the DL&W line but was accessible via a short local spur or connecting transport, such as horse-drawn carriages, early automobiles, or hotel-run jitneys.
Local stations along the route included: Naomi Pines (Lake Naomi), Pocono Lake, Crescent Lake, Wagners, Tannersville, Reeders, Bartonsville, and Stroudsburg.
Naomi Pines station was a combination depot built in 1893, later expanded in 1913 using modified boxcars to handle growing seasonal traffic.
The Wilkes‑Barre & Eastern Railroad operated from 1892 to 1939 as a subsidiary of the New York, Susquehanna & Western (NYS&W). It served as a shorter single-track route carrying anthracite coal, ice, timber, and tourists from northeastern Pennsylvania to New Jersey ports. A small station, “Naomi Pines,” was used mostly for freight but express trains were created for travelers. The Railroad passed within a mile or less from Lutherland, and often the conductors would even stop and pick huckleberries near the tracks.
Access to Lake Naomi would eventually become the center of a high-stakes legal battle. As more private homes sprang up around Lake Naomi, longtime residents and vacationers, like the Miller family, who had enjoyed the lake for years, began to clash with the Lutheran Association over who had the right to use the water. The lake had grown into a beloved destination, not only for worship and church camps, but also for boating, fishing, and summer fun.
In 1938, the dispute escalated to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in the case of Miller v. Lutheran Conference & Camp Association. The Millers argued that Lake Naomi was a navigable public waterway and that, as neighboring property owners, they had every right to continue boating and fishing on its waters. The Lutheran Association disagreed, maintaining that they owned the lakebed and thus controlled all access and usage. Ultimately, though, Lutherland would lose its grip on Lake Naomi, and other private interests, which had gained control during the Logan Steele era, would prevail.
The court ultimately sided with the Lutheran Conference, ruling that Lake Naomi was a private lake, not subject to public use. With that decision, the Vesper Landing and the waters it overlooked remained firmly in the hands of the Association, protecting the spiritual and communal environment the Lutherans had worked so hard to preserve.
By the turn of the 20th century, Pocono Pines had blossomed into a seasonal religious retreat, a haven from the city’s heat and bustle, where congregational life moved at the pace of the wind through the pines. Among the first to take root was the Pocono Pines Assembly, a spiritual and cultural movement that blended lectures, music, and worship into a summer living experience. At its heart were Vesper services, held in the open air, facing the lake’s shimmering surface just as the sun began its slow descent behind the ridge. The tradition continued with Lutherland.
As night fell gently over the lake, a soft clang of a bell carried across the still waters of Lake Naomi, calling families, visitors, and children from their porches and paddleboats to gather on the grassy banks or at the rustic dock for Vespers, the evening worship service that had become a cherished tradition on the lakeside.
For many, Vespers were more than just a religious service; they were a ritual of stillness, a way to mark time not with clocks but with reflection, gratitude, and a renewed sense of community. Strangers became neighbors, and the natural world itself, trees silhouetted against the orange sky, the lake’s glassy surface mirroring the heavens, became part of the liturgy.
While the Lutheran Conference and Camp Association managed the property as a religious retreat centered on Christian education and fellowship, as financial challenges arose in the years that followed, the camp was gradually opened to the general public in an effort to remain viable. This shift marked a transition from its spiritual mission to a broader, more commercial focus. To reflect this new direction and appeal to vacationers seeking leisure in the Poconos, the property was rebranded as “Pocono Crest,” a name chosen to evoke the image of a traditional resort destination rather than a church-affiliated retreat.
By the late 1950s, Valparaiso University (a private Lutheran institution in Indiana) acquired the property. Control shifted away from the university around 1969, marking the end of the Valparaiso era. Then, in 1969, the land was sold to Susque Corporation, which operated the resort. In 1972, Susque Corporation defaulted on the property, prompting Philadelphia National Bank to take title through foreclosure proceedings. The once-grand buildings of Lutherland/The Crest were gradually demolished through the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Life at Pocono Crest unfolded with a gentle rhythm, with less focus on religion and more on the vacation. Guests would still wake up to fresh mountain air and the sound of birdsong, often beginning the day with breakfast on wide porches overlooking the lake. Children darted through the fields to the swimming docks or took part in arts and crafts while parents relaxed, played tennis, or explored nearby golf courses, including the esteemed Pocono Manor championship course. Horseback riding, boating, and campfires filled the days, while evenings brought talent shows, bingo nights, and communal dinners that felt more like family reunions than resort dining.
Families enjoyed trail rides through the woods and along Lake Naomi, creating memories in the saddle that defined summer in the Poconos. Though the stables are long gone, their legacy lives on in the stories of those who first rode beneath the pines. Trails would run all through the 2,700-acre property, but a favorite ride would always take the horses down to the lake for a nice cool drink before returning to the stables.
As the 70s wore on, the rise of interstate highways and air travel changed the face of American vacationing. Small resorts like Lutherland, once the backbone of the Pocono Pines summer economy, began to close as families sought more distant adventures. By the 1980s, Lutherland’s buildings had aged, and its heyday had passed. The land was eventually sold and developed into part of the growing Lake Naomi residential community.
Dear Bessie, Margie & children,
This vacation has truly been wonderful. There are 2000 acres of recreation, there’s so much to do / to play. Mike taught me how to play golf & I enjoyed it so much – even joined him at Pocono Manor Championship Course – I drove the golf cart for him [There’s no place for amateurs].The food’s excellent here.
Karen’s been horseback riding & swimming every day. Did you arrive safely?
Thanks for everything – your visit was lovely. M.O.K. JUL 23, 5 PM 1963
Back of Postcard translation
In 1963, Logan Steele and his family purchased what was reported to be 2,760 acres surrounding Lake Naomi, significantly expanding the existing resort footprint. This acquisition marked a significant turning point in the area’s history, as Steele began transforming it into what would become the modern, amenity-rich Lake Naomi Club. That’s another story for another time.
As air travel and changing leisure trends shifted vacation habits, Pocono Crest, like many of its neighboring resorts, gradually faded into history. The last guests at Pocono Crest likely stayed in the late 1970s or very early 1980s, shortly before the resort went bankrupt and was dismantled. According to a collector’s blog on defunct Pocono resorts, “Pocono Crest Resort went bankrupt and was demolished in the 80s.” The grand facilities of Lutherland met their final demise through demolition in the late 1970s and 1980s, when the property was sold to Deer Run Corp. in 1982 for development.
Today, no signs remain to mark where Lutherland/Pocono Crest once stood. No placard, no remaining structures. Yet for those who were lucky enough to spend childhood there, it lives on in memory. Echoes of its past can be found in fading photo albums, penciled notes on postcards, and quiet smiles that surface when someone says, “Do you remember Lutherland?” The site is home to Pinecrest Lake Golf & Country Club.
But the golden era of Pocono Pines would prove to be fleeting. As the 20th century progressed, a new force of modernity emerged from the hills: the automobile. What the stagecoach and railroad had once united, the car began to decentralize. No longer tethered to train timetables or resort enclaves, travelers embraced the freedom of the open road. Families bypassed the long-established summer colonies in favor of day trips and far-flung destinations, while the exclusive charm of the lakefront hotels began to wane under the pressures of changing tastes and broader accessibility.
If you’re new to the Lake Naomi area and Pocono Pines, many of these places have been destroyed by fire, demolished, or just absorbed back into the fabric of the pine forests. But for a moment in time, Pococo Pines was the “be-all” travel destination of the golden age in America.
Our interactive map showcases locations, photos, and brief descriptions of landmarks of Lake Naomi’s history. Click the box in the upper right to expand the map, click on icons, zoom in and out, and let us know if there’s anything to add or correct.
In vivid color, the memories of Lutherland come alive. This exceptional 1-hour and 20-minute video, filmed in 1940, showcases the major amenities of the Pocono Pines retreat and resort. The film footage has been enhanced, featuring added background music. Although there is no narration, none is needed as the delight on the faces of hundreds of attendees shows their enjoyment. Special thanks to the Historical Association of Tobyhanna Township (HATT) for its efforts in preserving and promoting local history. This DVD is no longer available from HATT.
Visit the hotels, the casino, sports facilities, the lake, and, best of all, the camps. See Camp Beaverbrook, Camp Chickagami, and Camp Na-Wa-Kwa. Memories for some, but for the many who have never seen Lutherland, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
| Lutherland and Camps 1940 | |
| 1:25 – The Inn | 40:03 – Camp Nawaka (For Girls) |
| 2:35 – Administration Building / | 41:50 – Camp Chickagami (For Boys) |
| Cottages / Playhouse / Forest Lodge / Pocohanne Lodge / Croquet | 44.28 – Bell Field |
| Clymer Library / Shuffleboard | 45:42 – The End |
| 8:29 – Post Office / Stables / Riding Academy / Golf | —————————————————————– |
| 10:23 – Medical Services | 45:48 – Camp Chickagami for Boys |
| 10:38 Camp Beaverbrook (For Adults) | 47:42 – Flag Raising |
| 11:58 Lake Tamaque/ Wishing Gate Walk | 48:56 – Inspection |
| 15:15 – New arrivals | 49:31 – Nature Hikes |
| 17:35 – Girls Dormitory | 53:08 – Many Work in the Shops/ Handicraft Shop |
| 17:50 – Boys Dormitory/ Happy Tho Married Cabin | 53:58 – Kayak Constructing / Art Shop |
| 19:11 – Fireside Sing | 55:02 – Mask Making/Finger Painting/ Studio Lane |
| 21:06 – Lawn Checkers | 56:28 – Baseball / Swimming/Archery/ Basketball |
| 21:35 – Public Beach Swimming (Lake Tamaque) | 1:00:17 – Overnight Hike then a 3 Day Hike |
| 21:46 – Amateur Night | 1:03:43 – Horseback Riders Learn in the Ring |
| 24:14 – Thunderbird Council Fire | 1:06:48 – Down on the “A” Field |
| 24:50 – Athletics | 1:08:47 – In the Nature Museum |
| 26:54 – Cathedral Under the Pines – Inspiration Grove – Flirtation Walk | 1:10:39 – Returning to Camp Via The Rickety |
| 28:51 – At Mess | 1:11:26 – Free Swim/After Mass Flag Lowering |
| 30:40 – Social Activities | 1:12:34 – Boating |
| 36:09 – Other Activities | Walk to Church |
| 38:41 – Work and Play the Christian Way at Beaverbrook | 1:17:11 – Swimming Races/Relays |
| 38:55 – Season Closes | 1:19:15 – Breath Holding & Water Basketball |
| 39:55 – The End | 1:21:00 The End |
The Tobyhanna Historical Society has a great layout for a historic marker tour and map. Go for a fun afternoon – Here’s our interactive map to take with you.
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Oh my, My sister and I attended Camp Nawakwa in the late 40s to the early 60s when I became a counselor, Waterfront Director, and then Assistant Director. My brother attended Camp Chickagami. We went for the entire summer and I count those days as some of the happiest of my life. Horsebackriding was a highlight for both my sister and me. Mr. Riley was a sweet man and on the last day of camp when my father came to pick me (or us) up we would stop by at the stables and Mr. Riley loaded fresh horse manure in several buckets and loaded them in the car trunk. We still laugh about the ride home with the wicked 'perfume!'