Pine Grove Furnace Prisoner of War Interrogation Camp

The camp is located in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, near South Mountain, within the Michaux State Forest. The camp is along High Mountain Road, which was subsequently renamed Michaux Road. As a POW camp, the area of the site was approximately . The Pine Grove Furnace POW Interrogation Camp was a short distance from Camp Sharpe, which served as a POW labor camp during World War II. ==Early history==

showing Pine Grove Furnace relative to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and Carlisle, Pennsylvania The site that became the Pine Grove Furnace POW Interrogation Camp served a variety of purposes prior to becoming a POW camp. It was initially settled as farmland, known as the Bunker Hill Farm, which was approximately in size. The men of S-51-PA engaged in construction, forest management, and fire protection. They also had educational opportunities at the camp. The camp served approximately 200 men at any given time. The camp was in area, although the workers at S-51-PA serviced a much larger area. As the involvement of the United States in World War II was becoming significant, the need for CCC diminished and Camp S-51-PA closed in February 1942. ==POW interrogation camp==

The need for prisoner of war camps in the United States increased as World War II progressed. In particular, United States military officials believed that some of the prisoners were in possession of information of strategic value to the war effort. Officials in the intelligence organizations of the United States War Department perceived that the remoteness of facilities at Pine Grove Furnace provided security advantages while retaining the advantage of proximity to decision-makers in Washington, DC. The guards at Pine Grove Furnace POW Interrogation Camp were usually soldiers who had been wounded in combat but continued their duty by serving as POW prison guards. Initially, the prisoners at the Pine Grove Furnace POW Interrogation Camp were from the German Afrika Korps and from the German U-Boat corps. The prison population expanded during its service and eventually included a small number of Japanese Prisoners of War. Treatment of the prisoners of war at the Pine Grove Furnace POW Interrogation Camp was reported to be consistent with the mandates of the 1929 Geneva Convention. Prisoners had suitable personal space, diet, and recreation opportunities. During their time at the Pine Grove Furnace POW Interrogation Camp, prisoners carried out various tasks consistent with the camp's security concerns. Their tasks extended to various artworks, and several of the prisoners artworks remain on display by the Cumberland County Historical Society. At least one of the prisoners, Heinrich Backhaus, became a professional artist. The camp officially closed as a prisoner of war facility on 28 November 1948. At that time, the camp was returned to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as part of the Michaux State Forest. Approximately 7500 German prisoners of war passed through the Pine Grove Furnace Prisoner of War Interrogation Camp and approximately 161 Japanese prisoners of war. ==Camp Michaux==

On July 1, 1947, the site that had been the Pine Grove Furnace POW Interrogation Camp was acquired jointly by the Mercersburg Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Synod of Pennsylvania of the United Presbyterian Church, as a lease from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. They used the facility as a church youth camp, operating all year long. The lessees renamed the facility Camp Michaux, since it was part of the Michaux State Forest. While the new operators made improvements to the camp, they used many of the same facilities built to house prisoners of war. The prisoners' artworks remained on display at Camp Michaux. The cost of maintaining the aging camp became too much for the religiously-affiliated operators of Camp Michaux. The camp closed permanently on 31 Dec 1972, mostly for cost considerations. It is presently possible for visitors to tour the camp because of its historical significance and view various ruins. The Cumberland County Historical Society provides a guide to a self-guided walking tour of the grounds. In 2020, Camp Michaux was the subject of an archeological evaluation, with few artifacts being found that relate to the facility's use as a POW interrogation camp. ==See also==