Muhammad Ali's training camp, Fighter's Heaven, listed on National Register of Historic Places

Sep. 7—DEER LAKE — Fighter's Heaven, the secluded enclave where Muhammad Ali trained for some of his most iconic fights, has been elevated to a national historic site, the camp management announced Thursday.

The National Park Service has listed the camp on the National Register of Historic Places, general manager Mick Stefanek said.

"The National Register recognizes the accomplishments of people who have contributed to the history and heritage of the United States," Stefanek said. "We are thrilled that Fighter's Heaven, Muhammad's own creation, continues to be recognized for its historic significance."

Khaliah Ali, the three-time world heavyweight champion's daughter, was elated when informed of the designation.

"Honoring my father keeps his memory and his spirit alive," Ali, an entrepreneur and civil rights activist, said when reached in New York. "It sends a strong message, and is the kind of narrative we need today."

The camp's national designation, effective Aug. 21, comes on the heels of recognition by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.

A commission marker was dedicated at the camp in June, commemorating it as the site where Ali trained for "The Rumble In The Jungle" with George Foreman and "The Thrilla in Manilla" with his greatest rival, Joe Frazier.

Mike Madden, who purchased the camp in 2016, said the initiative to have the 6-acre compound on Sculps Hill Road gain national recognition was shepherded by the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office.

"It's the next step in our mission of keeping the legacy and memory of Muhammad Ali alive," said Madden, the son of the late Pro Football Hall of Fame coach and sportscaster John Madden.

After purchasing it from Pottsville native George Dillman, Madden renovated the camp in West Brunswick Twp. and deemed it "Fighter's Heaven" at a rededication in 2019.

The state historic preservation office prepared a 42-page narrative, plus photos and other items, as part of the application process.

'Peaceful character'

The camp was established in 1972, and contains a dozen log buildings, including Ali's cabin, a mosque where he worshiped and the gym where he trained.

Jeff Julian, a longtime publicist, said the camp is an important site in boxing history.

In tribute to boxing greats by whom he was inspired, Ali dedicated 18 large boulders to heavyweight champions Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier and Rocky Marciano.

Cassius Clay Sr., Ali's father, painted fighters' names on the boulders, including those of Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight champion, and Sugar Ray Robinson, world welterweight champion from 1946 to 1951.

Special boulders bear the names of Angelo Dundee, Ali's trainer, and Bernie Pollack, a furrier and boxing enthusiast who invited Ali to train on his Deer Lake mink farm in the early 1970s.

"Pollack was introduced to Ali by his "all purpose facilitator" and business manager, Gene Kilroy, a Mahanoy City native," the application to the National Park Service says. "Kilroy convinced Ali to train away from the media distractions accessible in cities like Atlantic City and Miami."

When weather interfered with outdoor workouts at the mink farm, Pollack sold the Sculps Hill tract to Ali, who began building the training camp.

"Ali liked the area's peaceful character and fresh air, as well as the friendly respect of the local community, where he could prepare in isolation for his upcoming fights," the application said.

State Rep. Jamie Barton, R-124, East Brunswick Twp., recalled seeing Ali jogging on backroads near Orwigsburg.

"We would see him when we were kids; he'd be running in a gray sweatsuit and Army boots," Barton said. "He welcomed us, and talked to us. He was a very pleasant person."

'Special excitement'

At the height of Ali's popularity, the camp was a magnet for entertainers and personalities, including sportscaster Howard Cosell, jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, the Supremes' Diana Ross and pop artist Andy Warhol.

Ali's training sessions were open to the public, and many people have fond memories of the Champ's generosity and accessibility, Julian said.

"The camp was like a small village, and it had a special excitement and vitality to it," he said.

Between 1972 and 1980, Ali trained for 14 fights at the camp. After retiring in 1981, he visited the camp less frequently.

His last visit to the camp was during a promotion for Thomas Hauser's book, "Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times," in 1991.

Stefanek believes Ali might have visited around 2000, when he looked out of a limousine window at the camp he forged on a south Schuylkill County mountainside.

Madden, a California developer, said the intensity for naming it to the National Register of Historic Places increased as the camp celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. National Park Service guidelines require applicants to be at least 50 years old.

'Exceptionally significant'

In assessing the camp's significance, the park service relied on extensive video collections, historic photos on display in the gym and a telephone interview with Kilroy, "a key member of his entourage during Ali's boxing career."

Kilroy also provided documentation and research on the property and its legacy.

Among the factors considered in evaluating its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places was the role the camp played in Ali's career.

"Fighter's Heaven is exceptionally significant for its association with the career and life of Muhammad Ali, known by many as 'The Greatest' boxer of all time, as well as an activist, philanthropist, Olympian and humanitarian," the application narrative says. "Muhammad Ali is recognized as one of the most monumental figures of the 20th Century by the international media, sports authorities, politicians and humanitarians."

The BBC named Ali the "Sporting Personality of the Century" and Sports Illustrated designated him "Sportsman of the Century" in 1999.

President George W. Bush presented Ali with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 2005. The same year, Ali opened the $60 million Muhammad Ali Center dedicated to inspiring respect, hope and understanding among youth in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Muhammad Ali died at age 74 in Arizona on June 3, 2016, following a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Contact the writer: rdevlin@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6007