South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club
Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club was a Pennsylvania corporation that operated an exclusive and secretive retreat at a mountain lake near South Fork, Pennsylvania, for more than 50 extremely wealthy men and their families.
South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club | |
Location | Roughly bounded by Fortieth, Main, and Lake Sts., Adams Township, Pennsylvania |
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Coordinates | 40°20′17″N 78°46′24″W |
Area | 5.6 acres (2.3 ha) |
Built | 1883 |
Architectural style | Stick/eastlake, Gothic, Queen Anne |
NRHP reference No. | 86002091[1] |
Added to NRHP | July 31, 1986 |
The club owned the South Fork Dam, which failed on May 31, 1889, causing the Johnstown Flood that killed more than 2,200 people. The dam's failure released an estimated 14.3 million tons of water from Lake Conemaugh, wreaking devastation along the valley of South Fork Creek and the Little Conemaugh River as it flowed about a dozen miles downstream to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It was the worst disaster in U.S. history at the time. Relief efforts were among the first major actions of Clara Barton and her newly organized American Red Cross. The club had neglected maintenance on the dam and performed some ill-advised alterations. Despite some years of claims and litigation, the club and its members were never found to be liable for monetary damages.
The corporation was disbanded in 1904, and its real estate were sold by the local sheriff at public auction, largely to satisfy a mortgage on the large clubhouse.