In December of last year (2010) "The Grove" enjoyed this bit of Press by the Essex National Heritage Commission's blog by Thomas Leonard:

"Asbury Grove Listed in the National Register of Historic Places

Just a few days before Christmas 2009, an announcement was made that another Essex County landmark property had been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The 150 year old Asbury Park Camp Meeting Ground formally run by the Methodist Church has now been added to the prestigious list of places in the country most worthy of preservation. This is wonderful news for former and present owners and residents of this century and a half old neighborhood. The area includes 153 modest cottages, some of which retain their fanciful wooded ornamentation. A handful of dormitories, built by church societies, as does a chapel built in 1894 survive even today. A library, dinning hall, and bakery, all constructed in the early 20th century remain as communal spaces serving current residents. Some of the most pressing renovations were made this past summer to the wooden tabernacle on the grounds. The tabernacle is thought to be the oldest such tabernacle in the country. The preservation work was accomplished by the residents of the community with substantial assistance from a $26,000 grant provided by the Town of Hamilton. The nomination to the register is a direct result of a meeting organized by Essex Heritage with board members of the Asbury Camp Meeting Corporation during the 2004-2005 Essex Heritage-Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Heritage Landscape Inventory project. At that time, Essex Heritage reached out to several experts from both the DCR consultant team and others to join with us in organizing a meeting with the board members of the Corporation. The corporation was encouraged to pursue the National Register listing at that time. In 2007, Essex Heritage also provided additional grant funding along with other funding sources to repair the 1894 tabernacle roof. We are very pleased that this result has been achieved, and is gratified that Essex Heritage played a small role in the process of designation."

Isa Cann responded to the blog with:

"So pleased to see that the Asbury Grove 150 (now 152) anniversary landmark has been recognized by the Commission of its fair home of Essex County, MA. Please write more about this amazing bastion of civil war and early 20th Century history, Tom. Did you know that a train came directly to the entrance of "The Grove" for decades? And that it had its own Post Office and convenient store? There is a lot to tell!
~Isa Cann, Essex County National Heritage Commissioner"

From the Hamilton Wenham Chronicle, September 18, 2009

Hamilton -

The Massachusetts Historical Commission approved the Asbury Grove Historic District in Hamilton for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places at its Sept. 9 meeting. The nomination will be submitted to the National Register of Historic Places at the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., for final consideration and designation.

“The Massachusetts Historical Commission is dedicated to preserving the Commonwealth’s rich architectural, cultural, archaeological, and historic resources,” said Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin said. “Inclusion of this exceptional place on the National Register will help to protect our heritage for generations to come.”

Asbury Grove was established in 1859 as a seasonal camp meeting ground serving Methodist congregations from the Lynn and Boston districts. As the site of open-air religious revivals, where participants took part in a week of intensive religious contemplation, Asbury Grove was one of several thousand meeting grounds designed for this purpose in the 19th century. Today, it is among the approximately 100 meeting grounds nationwide that remain intact and continue to hold regular summer meetings. Originally, no permanent manmade structures were allowed on the site: the campground was laid out with 40 large tents encircling a pulpit and seating area. But beginning in 1875, the tents were replaced by more permanent wooden structures, five of which remain today. The area also includes 153 modest cottages, some of which retain fanciful wooden ornamentation. A handful of dormitories, built by church societies from the member towns, also survive, as does a chapel built in 1884. A library, dining hall, and bakery, all constructed in the early 20th century, remain communal spaces serving residents. The 1894 Tabernacle, the large, open-sided worship space, has recently been restored. Celebrating its sesquicentennial in 2009, the campground continues to function to this day as the site of annual Christian meetings for Methodists as well as other denominations.

The Asbury Grove Historic District is one of eight historic resources around the state approved for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places by the Massachusetts Historical Commission at this meeting.

Galvin serves as chairman of the 17-member board, which meets regularly and considers historic resources eligible for the National Register four times a year.

The National Register is the nation’s official listing of significant historic resources. In Massachusetts, there are more than 65,000 properties listed in the National Register. The Massachusetts Historical Commission has been administering the National Register of Historic Places program in Massachusetts since 1966.

The Massachusetts Historical Commission is the office of the State Historic Preservation Officer and the State Archaeologist. It was established in 1963 to identify, evaluate, and protect important historical and archaeological assets of the state. To learn more about the Commission’s programs, visit sec.state.ma.us/mhc.