By Sophie Katz, age 16
Many campers and staff had never heard of Peru, Massachusetts until they stepped off the bus. This article may even be your first time knowing where our camp is located! Perhaps you’re still questioning to yourself whether there’s really a Peru outside of Peru (Camp Danbee unfortunately has no Lima).
In true American state-naming fashion, the other Peru was first. Just like we have New York (a British town), New Hampshire (also a British town), or New Mexico (formerly Mexican territory), Peru, Massachusetts was inspired by the country in South America. The town, much like New York which used to be New Amsterdam, was originally called something else. Without the Duke of York who changed the name of NY, we wouldn’t have our beloved “Welcome to New York” or “Empire State of Mind” playing on the pedicabs that swarm the crowded streets of the city. Just like how we couldn’t make jokes about Peru without Rev. John Leland who changed the name from Partridgefield (after Oliver Partridge, an original purchaser). According to Peru’s official website, it was first settled in 1767 and incorporated as Partridgefield in 1771.
The town, unlike New York, has remained similar to its namesake. Peru was named after Peru for its hilliness. A member of Berkshire County, Peru has the highest mean altitude in Massachusetts with an elevation of above 2,000 feet. For comparison, Danbee’s elevation is a whopping 1,653 feet. Campers have experienced these hills firsthand. Coupled with the nightly cold, the mountains make for a contrast to WriCampians’ hometowns. Unlike New York with its population of 8.336 million, Peru boasted a grand total of 814 in 2020. The 253 year old 26² mile town is the epitome of a small, beautiful, charming, rural town.
To learn more about the quiet town, we spoke to campers and staff starting with Thomas, a counselor who was helping imaginative WriCampians with RPG activities when we found them. Although they may have actually visited Pittsfield or some other nearby town instead of ultra-local Peru, Thomas was optimistic about Camp Danbee’s surrounding area. They cited “a nice Mexican place near the town square itself” and a “cute antique shop that had reasonably priced stuff” as two nearby attractions. Thomas was especially impressed by a $6 hat at the antique shop. The town was surprisingly walkable, boasting a “nice coffee shop and a movie theater.”
Peru shares Camp Danbee’s woodsy surroundings, with more than half of Peru being woodlands. Dorothy Frances Rice Wildlife Sanctuary is a prime location in the area to visit. Garnet Lake is Peru’s only lake, but our camp’s lake, Lake Ashmere, which is listed on Google as being a part of both Peru and Hinsdale, is nearby.
Peru’s notable monument is the Garnet Mountain Monument, which commemorates the 15 soldiers killed in a World War II plane crash on the mountain. (If those 15 people were alive today, they would make up almost 2% of the town’s population!)
Peru expert and Co-director of Danbee, Mark Toporoff, who has been employed at the all-girls summer camp for 34 years, said that his first impression of the town was that it was small. The winters in Peru are “very cold” and the lake notably freezes over during the colder months. It also takes “a lot of plowing” to get through the heavy snow that occurs during Peru winters. “We work together because it’s such a small town.”
Mark joked that when the 350 Danbee campers come every year, they double the population. “We work closely with the camp regulations and fire department,” he said, suggesting that there is more to camp that meets the eye.
It’s not only the Danbee campers and WriCampians that use the Danbee space, either. The sprawling 94-acre property has non-campers as part of the rotation as well. “The local townspeople use camp off season to play tennis and walk their dogs. While there are no stores in Peru, Danbee has gotten involved with the local library. Danbee campers took their passion for art and used it to paint the library both 25 and 15 years ago.
According to Mark, there are gravestones of some of the first Peruvians (Peruers? Peruites?) from the revolutionary war down the street. Although Mark doesn’t live there himself (he lives near Boston), he certainly is a valuable asset to aid WriCampians in discovering the charms of Peru. Thanks to this interestingly named small town, you’re now able to tell everyone you visited Peru this summer.
