Longtime Midlands restaurant totally destroyed by early morning fire
A restaurant that has been a Midlands icon for more than 50 years was destroyed in an early morning fire Tuesday, according to the Fairfield County Fire Service.
Dutchman Creek Marina & Restaurant on Lake Wateree burnt down, Fire Chief Jason Pope told The State.
“The building is gone,” Poe said of the lakefront restaurant on River Road in Winnsboro.
The restaurant was empty when firefighters arrived and no injuries were reported, according to Pope.
A Fairfield County sheriff’s deputy alerted the fire service about the blaze, and firefighters were on the scene at about 4:15 a.m., Pope said.
The deputy was responding to a motion or burglar alarm that had been triggered about an hour earlier, according to Pope.
When firefighters arrived, the fire in the restaurant was fully involved, and there were heavy flames throughout the building, according to the fire service.
With assistance from the Town of Winnsboro’s ladder truck, it took about two hours for the 20 firefighters on the scene to get the blaze under control, Pope said. It was around 8 a.m. when the fire was completely extinguished.
By that time the restaurant was “totally destroyed,” Pope said.
Because of the extensive damage to the building, officials were not able to determine the cause of the fire, or where in the restaurant it started, according to Pope.
There were no signs of arson, Pope said. Any further investigation into the fire would be conducted by the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office or an insurance company, according to the fire chief.
“Dutchman’s has been a Lake Wateree icon since 1964 when ‘Old Man Taylor’ first opened his doors,” the restaurant’s website says.
Over the years, the restaurant has evolved as ownership has changed. That includes being “reestablished” in 2014 when the restaurant was expanded and updated under current owner Nora Martin.
Messages left with Martin were not immediately returned.
“Her vision has made Dutchman’s the number one Hot spot on Lake Wateree,” the website says.
The restaurant’s menu included multiple options, such as pizza, wings, hamburgers and hot dogs to go along with seafood dinners. It had a positive score on Yelp.
There was also a full bar, along with a 20-seat outdoor beer bar, multiple large-screen TVs, and the SS Dutchman Pontoon stage for live entertainment and DJs, according to the website.
News of the fire sparked a strong outpouring of support on social media, including one Facebook post that has nearly 200 comments and more than 300 reactions.
“Dutchman’s and Nora have been a staple in our family every time we are at Lake Wateree. This is a huge loss for the community. My thoughts and prayers are with Nora and all of her team,” one person said.
Another person said “This is such sad news. RIP Dutchman Creek. Prayers for Nora.”
“This breaks my heart. As a child growing up on that lake, that place is a home away from home. You’re in our prayers Nora!!” another person said in the post.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published December 28, 2021 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Longtime Midlands restaurant totally destroyed by early morning fire."
