The Stony Acres Collection (1960-2020)

Collection

Identifier: RG 8.10.3

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Stony Acres Collection includes flyers and brochures, Lodge dedication papers, reports and planning documents, publications, media (CDs, DVDs, VHS, videocassette tape, slides), and oversized posters related to the recreation area.

Series I: Brochures and Flyers include advertisements for recreational activities like paintball, ice skating, waterfall walks, ropes course, picnics, climbing tower, Warrior Run, and Quest. Also included are activity schedules, scholarship information, rental policies, and 50th Anniversary flyers.

Series II: Lodge Dedication has invitations, programs, speeches, and correspondence from the 1984 Lodge Dedication Ceremony to Helen G, Brown. Also included are newspaper articles about the event from the Alumni Herald, Pocono Record, Stroud Courier, and the Focus newsletter.

Series III: Reports and Planning Documents include 1985, 1990, 1996, and 2005 master planning reports to the Stony Acres board of directors. Also of interest is an undated Stony Acres Program Review booklet from the Student Activity Association.

Series IV: Publications has newspaper and journal articles related to Stony Acres from 1977-2015. Materials are from The Stroud Courier, Alumni Herald, The Pocono Record, The Times Leader, The Globe Times, A Journal of Environmental Education and Interpretation, The Journal of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services, and Pennsylvania Wildlife Magazine. Of interest are the 1982 and 1983 Freshman Records sponsored by the East Stroudsburg State College Alumni Association.

Series V: Media includes 6 CDs containing photographs and slides from 2008-2013, 2 DVDs, 2 VHS tapes, 1 video cassette tape, and two 6” x 11” x 2” boxes containing thirty-eight 1” x 2” x 2” boxes of slides (1100 total). Of interest is the “1962 Stony Acres Cleanup, “ a type-written summary on 9”x11” paper. that corresponds to “Helen’s Slides” CD and “1962 Stony Acres Cleanup” history slides found in Folder 6.

Series VI: Oversized Items include large flyers for various activities and retreats from 2015-2019.

Dates

Creation: 1960-2020
Creation: Majority of material found within 1962 - 2015

Biographical / Historical

In 1962, the student members of the Women’s Recreation Association (WRA) and ESU faculty member Helen G. Brown bought 119 acres of open field in Marshalls Creek, East Stroudsburg to be used as a safe place outdoors to hike and camp during hunting season. The previous owner, Helen Adams, requested that the area keep its Stony Acres name.

ESU faculty, staff, and students developed Stony Acres into a recreation area and in 1963 it became a wildlife sanctuary. Students could enjoy a variety of activities including a one and a half acre lake, ropes course, hiking, frisbee, volleyball, cross country skiing, and overnight cabin stays. In 1984, a 6400 square foot lodge was built with a large all-purpose room, two smaller rooms, commercial kitchen, and bathrooms. It was dedicated to Helen G. Brown on May 5, 1984.

Stony Acres was closed due to budget constraints in 2020.