In 1945, the Executive Secretary of the Board of Education, Rev. S. Foster Walker took a map of New York State, located the section for the boundary lines of the Northern NY Conference and pinpointed the center with a 10 mile radius. He found it included Brantingham Lake and a small lake nearby named Pleasant Lake. 

Conference Layman DeWitt C. LeFevre reminisced; the land was, “located on a small lake with sandy beaches, containing a good cement block farm house (built before 1940 and still being used today) and some small barn buildings, having large groves of tall pine trees and acres of flat, sandy land. This farm seemed ideal for our camp. All this time we were simply acting on faith, faith that this camp project, long planned and dreamed of would become a reality. Our mission was successful.”

Purchased by the incorporated Board of Education of the Northern New York Conference of The United Methodist Church (now the North Central New York Conference) in 1946, the King Farm property at Brantingham, NY, fulfilled the dream of a place where lives could be changed. The property became Camp Aldersgate. 

During the year 1946-1947, the details of the master plan were drawn up and buildings designed and located. Between 1947 and 1948, the original Aldersgate buildings were erected. These included the dining hall and kitchen, four cabins and a washhouse for Unit A for the boys; seven cabins and a washhouse in Unit B for the girls. The first units housed 14 campers and 2 counselors each.