From the 1780's to 1920, The Deering Center property was the Kincaid Farm. It was run for many generations by the Kincaid family.

In 1920, this property along with five other farms in Deering, over 2000 acres were purchase by Dr. Eleanor Campbell. Dr. Campbell was a physician and humanitarian. She allowed the townspeople of Deering to farm her land, without charge, and live off of the proceeds while she practiced medicine in New York . During the depression, Dr. Campbell hired many area craftsman to build the Deering Community Center . Dr. Campbell's goal was to open the center to provide a free medical clinic and camp for the poor rural town of Deering and surrounding towns. In 1933, over 300 young campers from a 15 mile radius of Deering began a summer camp at The Deering Community Center. These children were taught by world renowned scholars from all over the northeast.

In 1945, Dr. Campbell knew that the community of Deering could not support The Community Center. Dr. Campbell, acting on behalf of the The Deering Community Center, Inc., approached several different church denominations to determine their interest in running the property. She offered to donate the property if they could successfully maintain it for two years.

In 1946, Dr. Campbell donated 5 farms and 2000 acres to the Congregational Denomination which is now the United Church of Christ. The United Church of Christ ran the Deering Conference Center from 1949 to 1989, when it closed due to severe debt and lack of support.

From 1989 to 1998, the Conference Center sat vacant and deteriorated. In 1995, after leading a camp in northern New Hampshire , Mike Silver brought his wife to The Deering Conference Center to show her the place that in 1983, "had a profound impact on [his] life". Later that sunny August day Mike and Deb were on Vesper Hill, a sacred spiritual place at the center. Mike suddenly felt an "overwhelming burning feeling" as if God was pouring "hot milk chocolate" into his body. He felt this was a call to move from his home and job in Chapel Hill , North Carolina to Deering , New Hampshire and reopen the center.

In November 1998, the proposal to lease the property with option to purchase was signed. On November 14, 1998 , Mike and Deb, still pregnant with baby Nicola, arrived at The Deering Center.

From November 1998 to present The Deering Center has had over 60,000 volunteer hours and raised over $800,000 in cash and in-kind donations.

On July 19, 2002 , thirteen years after the camp had been abandoned, The Deering Center purchased the property from the United Church of Christ.

In 2006, the camp grew 400% while serving about 2000 people. In 2007, the camp grew 179% in revenue while serving over 3000 people. In 2008, we expect growth of 125% and serving over 4000 people. God is good!

In the spring of 2008, The Deering Center will begin a $2,200,000 capital campaign to build a 120 bed year round retreat facility, renovate existing summer facilities, purchase the property outright and pay off debt.