Harmony Ridge Golf Club was an unofficial community center in Beaver County — a place where generations of Ambridge residents went swimming during the summer and long the site of weddings and festivals.
But after standing for nearly a century, its main building, the clubhouse, was destroyed in just about two hours when a fire ripped through the complex early Monday.
“It’s pretty surreal for us,” said club owner Greg Paul. “We’re devastated, and we don’t know what to do first.”
Part of the structure collapsed as firefighters worked to contain the blaze, which began about 5:30 a.m. in the building on Breitenstein Road in Harmony. Mr. Paul’s wife, Ricki, said the Pennsylvania state police fire marshal told them he’s 99 percent sure the fire was accidental.
Ms. Paul said that authorities will check the building’s surveillance cameras, but all the doors were locked when firefighters arrived.
The cost of the damage is unclear, and no one was injured.
Shane Miller of Economy, who worked at the club for four years, called the fire “devastating.”
The clubhouse, built in the 1920s and formerly known as the Ambridge Country Club, was used as an event venue and also housed a pub. It included a banquet hall and ballroom. Ownership changed a couple of times in the past decade and the Pauls ran it as a public club.
“It was a very up-and-coming place,” Harmony fire Chief Jim Curcio said.
Whatever the near future may hold, a priority will be rescheduling a number of weddings planned for the facility this spring and summer.
“We had a full schedule booked for the foreseeable future,” Mr. Paul said. “We’re going to do what’s best for everybody.” What that will be is not clear at this point.
The Pauls said they plan to rebuild as quickly as possible, perhaps in time for an annual music festival they host every September.
Although most of the building is not salvageable, one historic relic survived the fire: a fireplace holding several plaques with the names of founders of the club, many of whom were part of the steel industry.
Mr. Paul said he plans to incorporate the fireplace and plaques into any new facility that’s built.
“They’re still going to be there,” Mr. Paul said.
Andrew Goldstein: agoldstein@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1352.
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First Published: May 18, 2015, 10:44 a.m.
Updated: May 19, 2015, 2:50 a.m.