SOUTH FORK, Pa. (WJAC) -- We're just days away from the 129th anniversary of the Johnstown Flood of 1889.
And all this week, the Park Service is hosting a series of special programs and tours to help people understand how the flood happened and its impact.
"The club used this building for however much of the '87 season that there was once the building was done, and then the '88 season and that was it, because the '89 season at the top of the flood," said Park Ranger and chief of interpretation Doug Bosley.
Less than a week away from the anniversary of the Flood of 1889, Bosley is giving visitors an inside look at the clubhouse of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.
"It helps to understand the story of the flood a little bit more to understand what happened in the years leading up to the flood,” Bosley said.
Many wealthy families belonged to the club and utilized Lake Conemaugh before the dam broke, killing more than 2,200 people.
Bosley says the building was built with cheap materials and after several owners over the years, it's not in the best condition.
"For a few years there, we weren't allowed upstairs because this whole section of the building moved," Bosley said, pointing to a new structural support beam.
Since the Park Service acquired the building in 2006, it's been their mission to restore the building.
It's fascinating for many visitors, seeing the rooms where people slept more than a century ago.
"And imagining the people walking around and the camaraderie for all these well-off people that were fortunate enough to be able to come to a place like this," said Pittsburgh resident Pam Dimond.
"There's wallpaper from just about every era in this building," Bosley said,
Bosley says restoration work has been going on for a decade and he anticipates at least another decade of work.
"The work will go in phases,” Bosley said. “The next phase coming up will be more structural and then bringing in modern utilities; an HVAC system to maintain the building so there's not fluctuating heat and humidity."
Bosley says those changes will help ensure people from all over get to continue to get a glimpse into the past and explore history.
Estimates to repair the building range from $800,000 to $2.5 million.
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