| Camp Curtis Guild | |
|---|---|
| Part ofMassachusetts Army National Guard | |
| Reading,Lynnfield, andWakefield, Massachusetts | |
 Headquarters and Tent Area at Camp Curtis Guild, Boston Port of Embarkation. Note Transportation Corps emblem on building. | |
| Site information | |
| Type | National Guard Training Camp |
| Owner | Massachusetts Army National Guard |
| Controlled by | Massachusetts Army National Guard |
| Open to the public | Prior Permission needed |
| Location | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 42°31′52″N71°04′34″W / 42.531°N 71.076°W /42.531; -71.076 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1916 |
| Built by | Massachusetts Army National Guard |
| In use | 1916-Present |
| Battles/wars | World War I,World War II,Cold War |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Massachusetts Army National Guard |
Camp Curtis Guild is aMassachusetts Army National Guard camp located in the towns ofReading,Lynnfield, andWakefield, Massachusetts. It is named after former Massachusetts governorCurtis Guild, Jr.
During World War II the camp was one of the embarkation camps under the command of theBoston Port of Embarkation.
DuringWorld War I, the site was leased from the Bay State Rifle Association by theUnited States Navy. The area then became known asCamp Plunkett and wooden barracks and mess halls were erected on the site. After the war, the land was returned to the association.[1]
In 1926, the land was purchased by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at a cost of $65 million, (approximately equivalent to $1,074,454,887 in 2022 dollars). On March 1 of that year, GovernorAlvin T. Fuller named the camp in honor of the former governorCurtis Guild, Jr. “in consideration of [his] public service and intimate connection with the military forces of the state and nation.”[1]
During the time period between 1933 and 1936, aWorks Progress Administration camp was operated by the state on the site. Several wood-frame buildings were also erected on the site during this time.[1]
DuringWorld War II, the camp was operated as a staging area by theFirst Service Command under the command of and for the Boston Port of Embarkation.[2][1] The camp was also utilized by theUnited States Coast Guard, as well for training.[1]
In 1992, the army conducted aLyme Disease Risk Assessment and noted that the disease was present in ticks at the facility, as well as the presence of human Lyme disease cases in the surrounding area.[3]
In 1968 the site was selected to host the Boston-areaSentinel ABM, but fierce public opposition led to the project being put on hold, and then canceled in favor of theSafeguard Program, which was located far from urban areas.
In November 1976, the rock band KISS rented out an area of the facility in Reading to rehearse for their upcoming "Winter Tour 76/77" for the album Rock and Roll Over. While there, the band filmed three music videos for the Don Kirshner Rock Concert television show. The videos would air in May 1977.
In 1998, the outdoor firing facility was closed after a stray bullet nearly struck a Lynnfield mother and her toddler.[3] Between 1967 and 1998, nineteen stray bullets were found in the abutting neighborhood. Prior to the closing of the range, police departments from the surrounding area used the outdoor range for training.[3] The incident resulted in the building of an indoor range at the facility.
The facility contains fifteen training areas, two bivouac sites for company-sized elements, a land navigation site, a recovery training site, an engineer dig training site, a helipad, and an Engagement Skills Trainer. Ten miles of unmaintained roads are also present on the site to help with training for wheeled and tracked vehicles.[1]
A list of tenants that operate at the facility:[1]
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