Significant in the development of Maine's outdoor image were the sporting camps that catered to those who sought an authentic "wilderness experience" in the later decades of the nineteenth century. These camps, which were invariably located upon rivers and lakes or set in vast tracts of forest, helped to foster this image by developing isolated retreats that offered excellent hunting and/or fishing. While the amenities offered by the camps varied from rustic cabins with open fire cooking to upscale lodges with refined dining rooms, each promised abundant fresh air, relaxation, spectacular scenery and unparalleled hunting or fishing with trained guides. Spruce Point Camps were established on Parker Pond in Mount Vernon by 1915, first as Steven's Camps and later renamed Spruce Point Camps in 1922. The 15 buildings which were erected between c. 1906 and 1938 and include 10 cabins, 2 sheds, an employee cabin, a lodge, and a dining hall. The survival of this small outfit and their location in the southern section of the state add to their significance as an example of this recreational form, and expand our understanding of its distribution throughout the state. As such, the former Spruce Point Camps were listed in the National Register of Historic Places at the local level of significance as a significant example of a recreational complex in the tradition of the Maine sporting camp.