The clubhouse, pro shop and restaurant of the Parsonsfield, Maine property were destroyed in the late-night blaze, which officials believed had started in a kitchen. Plans for a centennial celebration this summer and the opening of a new coffee and wine shop will be affected, owners Dave and Carol Porter said in a Facebook post, but “golf will open and continue as previously planned,” and arrangements will be made to find ways to use other parts of the property for upcoming events, and work continues on a new wedding venue.
Crews from 11 towns battled a massive fire at the Province Lake Golf Club (PLG) in Parsonsfield, Maine late on Wednesday night, March 7th, The Conway Daily Sun of North Conway, N.H., reported.
Snow was falling as the fire raged, The Daily Sun reported, and the course’s clubhouse, pro shop and restaurant were destroyed in the blaze, which was extinguished at 4 a.m. on Thursday morning, March 8th.
Crews from nine surrounding towns were called in to help battle the blaze, television station WMUR 9 from Manchester, N.H. reported.
“We’re not 100 percent positive, but we believe it started in the kitchen,” club spokesman Sabin Beckwith told The Daily Sun. “We’re waiting for the fire marshal’s determination. The whole thing was gone in one hour and thirty minutes.”
Golf maintenance equipment and golf carts were spared, as they were housed in different buildings, Beckwith added. The club spokesman confirmed that the property is insured.
The club, which has an 18-hole golf course, is located on the shores of Province Lake, and owners Dave and Carol Porter had been planning to celebrate the facility’s 100th anniversary this summer, The Daily Sun reported.
On March 8th, the Porters posted a statement on Facebook about the fire that read:
“The outpouring of support from our local community has helped lift our saddened hearts just a bit today. We are still reeling from the devastating loss of our clubhouse, restaurant and pro shop.
“Be assured of this, we are PLG and we will rise up from this. Golf will open and continue as previously planned; fortunately our beautiful course and grounds department was not damaged by last night’s tragedy. Our grounds crew will continue to work on their preseason plan.
“We have been meeting all morning and making phone calls to secure portable refrigeration, restrooms and tents for our summer events. The loss of the clubhouse is heart-wrenching, but we still have ample beautiful property for celebrations and events and plan on fulfilling those to the very best. Our [food and beverage] team has extensive experience in offsite catering with field kitchens, generators and more.”
Some of the facility’s restaurant staff may be temporarily displaced, the Porters added, and their plans for Provisions at PLG, a new coffee and wine shop, are on hold. But work continues at Edge Lake Farm, the resort’s new wedding venue.
“We can never replace the history the clubhouse represented, but we can re-emerge better than ever,” the Porters’ statement continued. “For the countless well-wishers, we are grateful. Of the regulars who are more family than customers, we love you for your unwavering support. For our clients who continue to plan their celebrations with us, we salute you and are forever grateful.”
The club’s website says Province Lake was opened in 1918 by Joseph Emery and his friends and business associates. Emery, a native of Dover, N.H., served as President of Lord & Taylor in New York.
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