Fire destroys historic Tiverton Yacht Club

06/03/2003

projo.com staff

TIVERTON -- An electrical problem started an early-morning fire that destroyed the historic Tiverton Yacht Club building, the Tiverton Fire Department said.

Fire had already spread to all three floors and had blown out the back windows by the time firefighters reached the unoccupied building on Riverside Drive. Officials believe the fire had started on the first floor long before the fire department was notified at 4:39 a.m. It did not have sprinklers.

Photo courtesy of Tiverton Yacht Club BEFORE THE FIRE: The Tiverton Yacht Club was a bright spot on a knoll along the Sakonnet River.

The building, which sits on a hill overlooking the Sakonnet River, is believed to be 140 to 160 years old and was originally a mansion, said Stephen DePaolo, club commodore. The club, which has 200 individual and family memberships, plans to rebuild as soon as possible, DePaolo said.

Building inspector Robert Walker said the fire left the building unsafe and ordered it demolished.

The club opened for weekends over Memorial Day weekend and was scheduled to open full time later this month. It plans to go ahead with sailing and swimming lessons starting later this month.

Tiverton firefighters were assisted by a ladder truck from nearby Fall River, Mass., and an engine from Portsmouth. Firefighters brought the blaze under control by within 45 minutes but were still dousing the building with water at 11:30 a.m.

-- With reports from Journal staff writer Louisa Handle