Pocono Manor devastation ignites memories of its gloried past

As their teary eyes glanced at the ruins, they could still imagine what once was a beautiful hotel.

On Sunday, a group of former guests and employees gathered around the charred remains of the Pocono Manor that was destroyed by fire on Friday morning.

Joe Jerome, owner of the manor for the past 15 years, spoke briefly to members of the media and gathering crowd. He began by thanking the first responders who battled the blaze for nearly two full days.

“Thank God no one was hurt within this heartbreaking devastation,” Jerome said.

The manor’s on-site employees and guests from 25 rooms were safely evacuated. The origin of the fire was reported to have come from the kitchen area.

“The fire marshal will be conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the fire,” said Jerome. “We do know the fire was not the result of an electrical problem.”

Dubbed the grand lady of the mountains, the 117-year-old resort opened in 1902 as a country escape for Quakers who resided in Philadelphia. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and along with a golf course and spa, the complex is nestled within 3,000 acres in Swiftwater.

Remnants of recent life in the hotel could be seen through the massive rubble. A beer keg was buried under a pile of metal. A mattress was lying on top of twisted girders and burned pieces of wood. A sink was visible in the midst of the apocalypse.

Saying goodbye

Lydia Nesmith, who retired after managing the Lamplighter, the hotel’s bar for 26 years, pointed to a pile of charred wood where she once served drinks to Pocono Manor patrons.

“I had to come today to say goodbye,” she said while trying to hold back her emotion. “We were a wonderful family when I worked here. The Christmas parties were special to everyone.”

Nesmith took another look across the rubble. “This doesn’t feel real for 117 years of this place to go away in a day.”

Through the mire of everything turned black stood a colorful totem pole, unscathed by the flames. The Atlantic Indians Skeet Shooters held ritualistic ceremonies around the pole whenever a new president was elected. One might think that if Native Americans had lived this land hundreds of years ago, their spirits may have protected the pole from any damage.

Susan Hayden had worked for six years at the manor before leaving in 1996.

“The race car drivers used to stay here before they got campers and trailers,” she said. “I remember driving around in a golf cart selling beer to Kyle Petty.”

One could almost laugh at the points of irony within the scene of destruction. At the edge of a pile of burned wood was a metal sign that read, “Fire Lane — No Parking.” Just below the top section of the hotel that had not been scarred by the flames or smoke stood the signature fireplace from the reception lobby. The afternoon sun gleamed off the stonework that surrounded a large fire screen with the initials PM printed across the front.

Jerome finished his speech at the podium with words of hope and promise about the future of his resort.

“I am committed to rebuilding the Pocono Manor to the glory it once was. Our brand-new facility will be spectacular and it will include an entertainment center.”

He sent an invitation for those attending to return to the site.

“We will begin construction as soon as possible, and when we have completed everything, we will invite all of you back to help us cut the ribbon to open the new Pocono Manor.”

Volunteers on scene

On Sunday afternoon, Jerome issued a statement on behalf of the manor.

“The Bailey and Jerome families are heartbroken with the loss of our cherished Pocono Manor — the grand lady of the Poconos. We didn’t lose a building, we lost a legacy of dreams and decades of memories through the thousands of people that enjoyed all The Manor had to offer.

“Jim Cahill, Don Snyder and the Pocono Manor family would like to thank Chief (Tom) Kresge of the Pocono Township Fire Department. Through the valiant efforts of the hundreds of men and women firefighters — all volunteers, I may add — there were no fatalities, and everyone made it out safely. Over seven battalions from two states participated in trying to save whatever they could of our beautiful manor. There are not enough words of gratitude for all of them, but please note you will always have a special place in our hearts.

Fire departments from Parryville, Albrightsville, Summit Hill and Aquashicola were among other stations summoned to the roaring blaze.

Pete Beblavy, assistant chief of Aquashicola Fire Company said, “It was a huge structure; for us, probably the biggest thing we’ve been to since the Country Junction fire. To me, the most interesting thing was the amount of departments that were there over time, how far-reaching it was. It was just a huge pile of rubble by then; we were just soaking it down all night long, Friday night 11 p.m. until Saturday morning at 7.”

Beblavy added, “It was a long night, guys were at work all day, guys were awake over 24 hours. The local companies from Monroe, they had a heck of a long day; it was just a crazy thing to see that many units far-reaching respond. Saw a lot of names on trucks I didn’t know. For us, it was just soak down the rubble pile and get it workable so they could start tearing it apart to fully extinguish it.”

Diligence Fire Company No. 1 of Summit Hill posted its thoughts on Facebook Saturday night and said that a team of five firefighters from the fire company responded to the fire, noting that they departed the station at 9:45 p.m. Friday and didn’t return until 8:30 a.m. Saturday.

While on scene, they operated a tanker dump site that fed water to two aerial devices on the corner of the building.

“To our knowledge, this incident is the furthest (45 miles one way) that the DFC has responded to (in) the history of the fire department. The crew got to work with departments from over five counties, and this was the largest multi-jurisdictional response we were ever a part of.”

Parryville Fire Department also took to Facebook to post its thoughts on responding to the massive fire.

“Our small-town fire company responded to Pocono Manor major fire tonight for requested water supply from our tanker. Thanks 802 and 803 for taking on a long night.”

‘Here to stay’

Jerome also thanked the Salvation Army who was on scene offering its canteen to firefighters.

“To our neighbors, all the cottagers who call Pocono Manor home, thank you for all of the support you offered and we are sorry for the inconvenience you have endured over the past few days. Our top, immediate priority is to restore all the services that have been disrupted,” he added.

“We also want to say how appreciative we are to all the people who worked at Pocono Manor to make it what it was — they are truly remarkable people.

“On behalf of Jim Cahill, Don Snyder, the Bailey and Jerome families; we share the pain of this horrible outcome at Pocono manor. We are a generational family-owned company and rest assured, we will rebuild a new and spectacular facility that we are sure you will be proud of. We will incorporate this new facility with our future plans to create a destination retail and entertainment center.

“Our master plan for these 3,000 beautiful acres will continue. We are here to stay, so stay tuned.”

Terry Ahner contributed to this report.