They are all over the Poconos. Resorts from the glory days, falling into disrepair. Today, it's Fernwood, near East Stroudsburg, scene of a huge fire Sunday night.
The recreation building and arcade burned. There used to be boxing matches and assorted other activities in here over the years. The walls remain. Everything inside is gone.
A religious group bought Fernwood in December, and intended to turn it into a "world peace center." A spokesman says the plans are delayed, but still on track. I walked around the property and looked at the buildings that didn't burn. It didn't appear much work had been done. In fact, it looked fairly shabby. Fernwood had been closed for several years, and the property really looked that way.
I've had the opportunity to tour other Poconos resorts in the same boat, including Mt. Airy in Paradise Township, before it changed hands. The musty stench was unbearable. There was one solution: a bulldozer, and that's what the new owners wisely did. You hate to lose history, and it would have been really neat to see those buildings and hotel rooms restored. It would have been enormously expensive. You had to start over.
It's clear the recreation building at Fernwood will have to go. I'm not sure about the rest.
