Cumberland Times-News

Several activities will be held this month in observance of the 127th anniversary of the Great Johnstown Flood of 1889.

Park rangers will offer guided tours of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Clubhouse on May 28 and May 30 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

The tours, which are free and open to the public, start every half hour, with the last beginning at 3:30 p.m. Tours of the clubhouse are free, but reservations are required.

Tours will highlight all of the uses of the building, not just the ownership of the club. The tour will also briefly provide insight into the building's potential for future uses. For reservations, call 814-886-6170.

Walking tours of Cottage Row will be conducted May 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours start every hour, with the last beginning at 3 p.m.

Rangers will explain the cottages of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. Over the winter, thanks to newly discovered documentation, rangers uncovered who owned each cottage and exactly how many cottages there were. Many of the structures are currently occupied, so visitors will not enter any buildings. The 45- to 50-minute tours begin at 11 a.m. and will be offered on the hour. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 814-886-6170.

There will be no fee for admission to the Johnstown Flood National Memorial Visitor Center on May 31, with the center open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. with additional showings of the park film, “Black Friday.” 

Beginning at 7 p.m., 2,209 luminaries lined along the remains of the South Fork Dam and around the visitor center will be lit, one for each of the victims of the flood. The names of flood victims will be written on each bag, thanks to the students at Forest Hills Elementary School. The luminaries will remain lit until 10 p.m.

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