Our Story
The success of The Rex Hotel got us thinking…what’s next for Promised Land?
Hi! We’re Brian & Joanna. In 2020 we left our city life in Philadelphia and bought a rundown motel in the quiet town of Promised Land.
It was beyond hard but what happened over the next year transformed our little motel into one of the most beautiful and highly rated lodging establishments in the area.
About The Campground
We cannot tell the story of Ferncrest without mentioning the Wilson Family.
In the late 1700’s, settlers moved to the area of Promised Land to work the land. Land parcels were granted by the State of Pennsylvania for lumbering with the anticipation the area would thrive and prosper.
Unfortunately as time went on the lands were poorly managed and the costs to maintain the land were outweighing the returns.
Many land owners were struggling to stay afloat and started selling their parcels to anyone who would be willing to settle to the area, including Edgar and Mary Wilson.
The Wilsons saw nothing but beauty in Promised Land with its lush forests and abundant wildlife.
In the early 1900’s, as owners continued to try and sell their land, the State decided to purchase back some of the acreage and form what would become Promised Land State Park.
Edgar Wilson was selected to be caretaker of lands for the State and would become the first Park Ranger for Promised Land State Park.
In 1966, Edgar’s grandson recognized that many folks wanting to spend more time in the area didn’t have a place to stay to enjoy all the natural beauty.
As such, he developed Wilson’s campground as an opportunity for visitors to experience the tranquil outdoors of Promised Land.
When we happened to stumble upon the campground, we were intrigued. When we learned about the history of the campground, we were determined.
We saw what Edgar and Mary originally saw; a beautiful area of land that needed to be respectfully enjoyed. So we reached out to the current owners to see if they would be willing to sell the land (which was no longer operating as a campground)…and the rest is history (strike “history” out?) just beginning.