Founder’s Day and Glen Brook’s History

Camp Glen Brook’s founder, William Harrer, dreamed of a place where children could come to connect with nature, one another, and themselves. Working at the Rudolf Steiner School in Manhattan, he imagined a picturesque location where the routines remind people of a slower and more simple time, and the friendships made last a lifetime.

It was in April 1946 that he found just what he was looking for: a beautiful farm on a hilltop in the Monadnock Region of Southern New Hampshire. We will let William tell Glen Brook’s founding story through excerpts from his journal:

After finding the perfect location, William set off to take out loans and borrow money from wherever he could to afford the camp. He continues:

William Harrer, soon alongside his wife, DJ Harrer, labored tirelessly to restore the old buildings, install plumbing, and make Glen Brook a place that children could call a home away from home. Thanks to the endless days of hard work, Camp Glen Brook became just what he had dreamed of: a magical summer camp where children could come to play, explore, and grow. 

William and DJ ran the camp for many years and at the end of their time as directors, they gifted the camp and its operations to Peter and Betty Curran, who had a long history of working at Glen Brook. The Currans in turn made a gift of this incredible place to the Waldorf School of Garden City, so that it may continue to serve not just as a Camp, but as a place to inspire students throughout the year as well.

Glen Brook is a physical embodiment of philanthropy. It exists because our founders selflessly committed their life’s work to this place so that it would serve children for decades to come. It continues to exist today thanks to the generous support of our incredible community and all those that love it. 

On April 28th 2025, we will honor our founders and celebrate the spirit of philanthropy that exists here at Camp Glen Brook with a one-day giving campaign. Our goal is to raise $4,280 in one day, in honor of our founding date (4/28). We hope you will join us in recognizing the inspiring story of our founders and the creation of this magical place! 

(The quotes in the letter come directly from William Harrer’s Journal, where he writes about his inspiration to open a camp and the journey he undertook to do so.)