History
Virginia’s oldest overnight camp for girls established in 1923 & celebrating our 103rd summer to remember
Camp Carysbrook has been creating lifelong memories for girls since 1923. Founded by sisters Sarah Caperton Preston and Katherine Preston, the camp blended Sarah’s vision, shaped by her work as a dance teacher in Norfolk, with Katherine’s experience as a nurse and horsewoman. Together, they directed Carysbrook until Sarah’s passing in 1965. The legacy they built carried forward with Charles and Betty Cumisky (1965–1971) and later Katherine Syer Heath (1971–1976), each preserving the Prestons’ spirit while adding their own chapter to the camp’s history.
In 1979, Toni Musso Baughman purchased Camp Carysbrook, blending new traditions with those established by the Preston sisters. She directed the camp from 1980 to 2001, after which her daughters, Rachel Baughman Gannaway, Laura Baughman Devereux, and Sarah Baughman continued the legacy until 2019. n 2019, Colleen Hagan Egl, a former camper, staff member, director, and parent, became the owner of Camp Carysbrook alongside her husband who passed away in 2024. With family ties dating back to the 1930s Colleen’s own family roots at Carysbrook stretch back to the 1930s, and she continues the legacy of the Prestons and Baughmans with the same passion for empowering girls. Her vision is for Camp Carysbrook to remain a joyful antidote to the pressures of the modern world, a place where girls grow into strong, authentic, curious, and connected young women.