Vandalism at the Hashawha Environmental Center in Westminster will shut down a portion of the camp that sees about 75 sixth-graders a week from throughout the county during the school year.
“We?d have kids come up and destroy things before by carving their initials in the cement between the logs or something like that,” outdoor school instructor Mary Hoy said.
“There has been some damage here, but not a whole lot.”
This time, someone broke the lock off the camp?s one-room Martin cabin, sprayed a fire extinguisher in the cabin and damaged a replica wooden spinning wheel last week, Carroll County Sheriff’s Sgt. Phil Kasten said.
No suspects have been found; damage is estimated at about $400, he said.
The Martin cabin is one of several different instructional buildings on the camp, which also has several barrack-style cabins and a dining hall.
One of the camp’s instructors discovered the damage Sunday afternoon and notified police, camp office associate Kathy Leonard said.
It?s unclear how long the cabin will be shut down for repairs, she said.
The cabin, which was built in the 1850s, is a part of the camp?s weeklong class, which includes instruction on how people of the 1850s lived and the increasing effect of technology on the environment, Hoy said.
Teachers at the school said repairs will be covered under the school?s budget, which the Board of Education funds.
“I wonder why they would target us?” Hoy said.
“It?s such a popular program with everyone. I wonder why they would come up here to cause trouble.”
The camp rents its five sleeping cabins to community groups like churches and Scouts when students are not here, Leonard said.
