STRATHAM, N.H. (WHDH) - A historic barn with farm animals inside went up in flames in Stratham, New Hampshire late Monday night.
Firefighters responding to a reported structure fire called in by a passerby at Scamman Farm on Portsmouth Avenue just after 10:30 p.m. found a barn that is more than 100 years old engulfed in flames, according to Stratham Fire Chief Matt Larrabee.
Crews worked to release as many animals from the barn as possible.
A second barn ignited but firefighters contained those flames to the exterior surfaces, Larrabee said.
Neither the houses nor the apartment on the property sustained damage.
There were no reported injuries.
“Everyone is safe, our family is safe!” Scamman Farm wrote on Facebook. “Thank you to everyone for the kind words and most importantly Thank you to all of the fire fighters that put themselves on the line to keep everyone safe.”
The farm has been a backdrop for political events for Republican presidents and candidates through the years.
In 2011, Mitt Romney announced at the farm that he was running for president. Former Presidents George W. Bush, and his father, George H.W. Bush, also had visited the farm.
In 2019, Scamman Farm was named to the National Register of Historic Places. The barn dated back to the 18th century and was one of the oldest structures chronicled in the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s series, “52 Barns in 52 Weeks.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
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