Annapolis Yacht Club Vows to Rebuild

ANNAPOLIS, MD — As the investigation continues into what sparked a blaze that heavily damaged the historic Annapolis Yacht Club, government leaders vow to help rebuild the institution and find work for its 150 employees.

On Sunday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan joined Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides, Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh, and the leaders of Annapolis Yacht Club to survey the damage.

“Our state agencies are ready to assist the over 150 individuals who work at AYC and get this important part of the history, culture and economy of Annapolis back on its feet,” Hogan said.

The three-alarm fire broke out at the Annapolis Yacht Club, 2 Compromise St., Saturday afternoon before being extinguished by nearly 100 firefighters.

Capt. John Bowes of the Annapolis Fire Marshal’s Office told the Capital Gazette the fire damaged the second and third floors of the building while the rest of the building was damaged by smoke. The building lacks a sprinkler system, leading Bowes to attribute that as the reason the fire did so much damage.

An estimated dollar amount for the damage and loss to materials in the club hasn’t been released.

See Also:

• Pictures, Videos from Annapolis Yacht Club Fire
• Historic Annapolis Yacht Club Struck By Massive Fire
• Historic Annapolis Yacht Club Investigation Seeks Cause Of Massive Fire

The club will take care of its 150 employees through the holidays and possibly beyond, Mayor Pantelides said Sunday, and the city is working to find jobs for all of those displaced workers.

“It’s a huge loss for the community, but it’s also an opportunity,” Pantelides said. “We’re going to help make sure this place is rebuilt the best it can be.”

The fire was described as a “very dangerous situation” by Annapolis Police, with closed roads downtown causing backups and traffic congestion for hours after the fire broke out. The annual Parade of Lights was cancelled because of the fire.

“We are saddened by the events of today but thankful that no one was seriously injured,” Commodore Rod Jabin, a member of the AYC Board of Directors said in a statement Saturday. “Annapolis Yacht Club is more than the bricks and mortar of a clubhouse; it is a community. We are committed to re-building in the current location and in the interim are exploring opportunities to re-locate elements of its operation.”

The historic club that played host to several national and international racing events was created in 1886 as an informal canoe club, according to the AYC website. In 1904, the club had close to 30 members compared to its membership today, which stands at 1,600.

The club has been a destination spot for sailors and their families for generations. Its leaders are looking for a site to relocate to while the structure is rebuilt.

Vice Commodore Debbie Gosselin told WTOP that trophies, oil paintings and wood models of renowned sailing ships were destroyed, in the fire; a full inventory of the loss hasn’t been done yet. Historic documents, such as racing records, were already stored off-site through a historic archiving effort.

»Video from Anne Arundel County Professional Fire Fighters’; fire photos and aftermath images from AACPFF and Gov. Larry Hogan’s Facebook page