The Craftsman style home was built in 1925, and has been owned by the same family for more than fifty years. Vans' Camp is situated on two of four lots that were originally owned by the Banning Brothers, who owned the entire island between 1892 and 1918. The Bannings sold one of these four lots to famed children's book author Jeanne Stratton Porter, who built the home that is now the Catalina Bible Church.
Porter encouraged James Lawshe and his wife to purchase the two lots next door to her own, in order to build Vans' Camp as the Lawshe's vacation home. Lawshe constructed Vans' Camp out of rough cut redwood and Catalina stones; and furnished it with Monterey and Adirondack furniture. In 1959, Lawshe's family sold the property to Kryne Van den Akker, the grandfather of the current owners. The home was entirely rennovated in the early 2000's by Kryne's daughter, Joan Darrah.