A view of Great Pond, as seen from the McMillan School of Fine Arts Vacation School. Hoyt's Island is in the center of the photo.

Artist and illustrator Mary Lane McMillan and her musician husband George McMillan founded the school. During the 1920s and 1930s their summer home in Rome, on Crystal Springs Camp Road, was used as a camp for vacation session students from their residence-studio school in New Rochelle, New York.

Mary taught art classes outdoors to take advantage of the scenic beauty of the camp's surroundings.

According to the 1933 McMillan School of Fine Arts brochure, "The Vacation School is located in the small town of Rome, fifteen miles from Oakland, Maine, a village on the Maine Central Railroad... The School buildings, including our Camp-home, are removed from state roads and set among hills and trees on the shore of Great Pond, (the) largest of seven of the Belgrade chain of lakes... Fees cover board and room, occasional use of row-boats, canoe, power-boats and camp facilities provided for the enjoyment of resident-students..."

Summer sessions lasted 14 weeks beginning the third week of June and ending the second week of September.