South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club

South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Clubhouse, August 2012
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Location	Roughly bounded by Fortieth, Main, and Lake Sts., Adams Township, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	40°20′17″N 78°46′24″W / 40.33806°N 78.77333°W / 40.33806; -78.77333
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 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. Its members were more than 50 extremely wealthy industrialists and their families. Most were based in Pittsburgh, the center of steel and related industries.

The club owned the South Fork Dam and an associated reservoir. The earthen dam failed on May 31, 1889, causing the Johnstown Flood that killed more than 2,200 people downstream. An estimated 14.3 million tons of water from Lake Conemaugh were released, wreaking devastation along the valley of South Fork Creek and the Little Conemaugh River and the 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 was found to have neglected maintenance on the earthen 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. Its real estate was sold by the local sheriff at public auction, largely to satisfy a mortgage on the large clubhouse.

The club, the flood and later investigations have continued to be subject of studies, commemoration, and cultural works. A Johnstown Flood National Memorial was created. In addition, in 1986 the remaining buildings of the club and associated property were designated as a National Historic Landmark District, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.