A legal dispute over the proposed sale of a former Girl Scout camp on Lake Winnipesaukee has reached the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, which is investigating whether the property’s trustees violated the terms of a deed.
The nearly 95-acre Camp Menotomy property in Meredith includes almost one mile of shoreline and is among the largest undeveloped parcels on New Hampshire’s largest lake. The site has several former cabins, tent platforms and a boathouse. Its trustees accepted an $18 million offer from a housing developer, prompting a lawsuit and the attorney general’s investigation.
The legal dispute
The case is at the lawsuit and investigation stage. The issue under review is whether the trustees were permitted to accept the developer’s offer after rejecting a competing proposal that would have kept the property operating as a camp. The deed’s terms are central to the dispute.
Attorney General John Formella said Wednesday that he expects the trustees and the developer to pause the sale while his office completes its investigation. That announced pause concerns the proposed transaction; the legal dispute and the investigation remain unresolved.
- The property is in Meredith on Lake Winnipesaukee.
- The trustees accepted an $18 million offer from a housing developer.
- The Attorney General’s Office is examining whether the deed allowed the proposed change in use.
The Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts ended its lease at the property after the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the rustic camp attracted too few campers to remain viable. The decision opened the way for the trustees to consider other uses for the waterfront land.
Camp Menotomy’s former campers have described the site as an important part of their lives. Donna DiDomenico, who spent 12 summers there and later worked as a Wall Street financier, said canoe trips, camp chores and time away from home helped build her confidence and sense of responsibility.
“The houses that they're going to turn this waterfront property into are only going to help a few people.”
DiDomenico said the camp changed the course of her life and that the community needs the opportunity it provided.
Property’s future remains disputed
Former campers have organized their memories and concerns on an alumni Facebook page as the court dispute and state investigation proceed. The property remains forested along most of its shoreline, with remnants of the former camp still visible.
The competing camp proposal is part of the legal question before the trustees and the Attorney General’s Office. Formella’s anticipated pause gives the state time to examine the deed and the circumstances surrounding the rejected offer and the proposed sale to the developer.
The transaction has not been completed, and the investigation has not resolved whether the trustees violated the deed. The legal status remains a pending lawsuit alongside the attorney general’s review.
