West Hartford country club looks to rebuild clubhouse after two fires

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A country club in West Hartford is looking to rebuild its clubhouse after back-to-back fires in the spring.

The Wampanoag Country Club will submit plans to the town for a Planning and Zoning Division meeting on Wednesday night.

Two fires, 24 hours a part, burned down the clubhouse at the Wampanoag Country Club in April. Flames came through the roof and multiple fire departments were called in. No one was hurt, but the building was a total loss.

“This is like our second home,” Karen Nista, a country club member, said. “A lot of these people, we’ve spent 20, 25 years with. So it felt like losing your home in a sense.”

Members like Nista said a lot of memories were made here. There have been weddings, graduation parties and gatherings. It’s also where a lot of kids grew up.

“It was a great place to raise kids,” Nista said. “To some degree, they’re learning how to tuck in their shirts and wear their hats the proper way and have manners so we love that part of it.”

The West Hartford Fire Department said the fires were not intentionally set. 5 months later, staff still don’t know how the fire a started. The fires came on the country club’s 100th year anniversary and the golf course was just renovated.

“It was recognized as the 4th best renovation in the United States in 2023, so we’ve always had this gem of a golf course, and I think now we’ll have a country club house that will match the beauty and splendor of our course,” Glenn Cunningham, Wampanoag Country Club president said.

If approved, the project will take about 10-12 months. The 32,650 square ft. clubhouse “involves constructing a two-story club with a porte cochere, outdoor terraces, and a walkout basement on two sides,” according to the submitted plans.

Cunningham said the new clubhouse was designed to be family friendly.

“You’re not here for a hundred years if you’re not doing things right,” he said. “It’s all about the members and their experiences here and it’s those things that went into the design of the clubhouse.”

Demolition is already underway.

A suggested public hearing for the clubhouse application is set for October. After that, the Zoning and Planning Division will vote on it.

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