Our History In 1963 a small group of parents and community supporters decided to teach plant care to young adults who were considered by most to be untrainable and unemployable. Their goal was almost unheard of: jobs for people with disabilities. It was a bold idea for its time. < BACK TO WHO WE ARE The Melwood Recreation Center Beginnings in Employment Melwood began in 1963 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland and in the early 1970s purchased the 108-acre property in Nanjemoy. At the time, the facility was a fully functioning farm that was used as a training site for individuals with disabilities to gain job skills in agriculture, farming, landscaping, and horticulture in order to go out and pursue careers in the community. The Nanjemoy campus was the center of Melwood’s job training programs in Charles County for a number of years. Over time, the needs of the community began to change and Melwood explored additional options for the property. Growth and Change By the early 1980s, construction had begun on the lodge-style cabins and dining hall at the west end of the property. The cabins became home to the early Access Adventures program, which hosted several retreat-style camp-themed vacations for adults with disabilities throughout the year. Eventually Access Adventures began adding getaway destination vacations to the schedule and saw great success. As the job skills part of the facility was moving to other locations and Access Adventures was growing, Melwood identified the need for summer youth programming. With the addition of high and low challenge courses, a swimming pool, basketball court, and stables, Camp Accomplish opened its doors in 1998 to children with disabilities and their siblings. Eventually the camp expanded to be open to all children, with and without disabilities. Today, Camp Accomplish serves over 600 youth each year. As the camp grew, horseback riding grew in popularity as an activity. In 2004, thanks to a very generous donation, an indoor riding arena was constructed on the property to allow for riding lessons and equine activities year-round, regardless of the weather conditions. The stables were also enclosed and built into a complete barn that is still used today as a bustling center for the full-fledged Equestrian Program, which includes both lessons and trail-riding activities. Continued Improvements The Melwood Recreation Center is always exploring options for future growth and expansion, both in the number of people served and the types of programs and facilities available on the property. This is done through community partnerships, creative programming, and capital investments. Constant evaluation and outreach has made the Melwood Recreation Center a staple of the Charles County community and premier recreation spot for people of all ages. Explore Our Programs Learn more about our efforts in support of our mission and vision. Vehicle Donation Program For over 16 years, we’ve operated one of the most successful car donation programs on the East Coast, processing over 200,000 vehicle donations. DONATE TODAY ABOUT WHO WE ARE LEADERSHIP BOARD OF DIRECTORS FAQS INFO WAYS TO GIVE WHY SUPPORT US VEHICLE DONATION INFO NEWSROOM TAKE ACTION DONATE VEHICLE DONATIONS FORM VOLUNTEER INTERNSHIPS CONTACT Contact Us 5606 Dower House Road Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 Phone (301)599-8000 Fax (301)599-0180 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Status | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement | Financial Document Policies ©2021 Melwood Horticultural Training Center, Inc. All Rights Reserved