In the summers, between 1852 and 1949, the Sterling Camp Grounds assembled Methodists for 7 to 10 days and nights to share in scripture, food and community. The surrounding Methodist church’s closed their doors during this event. It was grand in every respect attended by more than a thousand people from all over Massachusetts.

The Boston & Maine Railroad added more trains to service Sterling Junction from Boston, Cambridge and Lowell for the occasion.

Newspapers, local and national,made mention of the event. The Evening Herald of Klamath Falls, Oregon wrote about Rev. R. Osborn forming a canary chorus that whistled familiar hymns in 1914. The Bozeman Avant Courier mentions the preaching at the Sterling Camp Grounds in November of 1877. The Washington Evening Star reported a swindler was in attendance at the 1867 Camp Meeting and again in 1874 when the Camp Meeting was wrecked by Tornado.

The campgrounds contained more than 125 cottages and upwards of 60 society tents. A society tent might have been in the name of a Town, such as Weston or Ware or Societies such as Zion. There were three sermons each day with prayer meetings following. It was reported that as many as 29 people were converted in a single day by the influential evangelists and their powerful sermons.

As many as 1300 people were fed daily at three seating’s with 800 pounds of beef, 10 barrels of flour, 300 pounds of cheese, 400 pounds of butter, fifty pounds of coffee, 30 bushels of potatoes, 150 dozen eggs and 40 pounds of tea.

Alas, these are days gone by. Today, the railroad is gone along with the pavilion. The grounds are mostly tree covered and only those with very long memories can vaguely recall the spectacle, but we can still reminisce.