Fire breaks out at Doylestown Historical Society building in Bucks County

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (WPVI) -- A fire broke out at the Doylestown Historical Society in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The fire started around 5:30 a.m. on Thursday on Main Street.

It happened in a building that houses some historical documents, photos and a gift shop.

Ron Strouss is the President of the Doylestown Historical Society and former mayor.

"It was a crossroads for indigenous Americans that became a county seat and a thriving community," said Strouss. "This is a community asset in every way."

The building dates back to the early 1800s, which posed a challenge for firefighters.

"The challenges are the old walls and the structure, it was built so long ago that itholds the heat, so they had to work on getting some of the old windows open, some challenges ventilating the structure," said Doylestown Fire Marshal Scott Fleischer.

Crews arrived within one minute of the fire alarm, which was integral in the mission to save this piece of history on Main Street.

"That's great that the building is still standing - such a historical piece in the borough. The firefighters did a great job," Fleischer said.

It took firefighters about half an hour to get the fire under control.

Now, crews are working to board up the building.

Established in 1995, the Doylestown Historical Society houses important artifacts and documents that highlight the rich past of this gem of Bucks County.

The board chair of the historical society, Ron Strouss, says they'll have a meeting Friday to talk about restoration and moving forward.

Thankfully, the majority of the historical items are housed in the rear building, which was unaffected by the fire.

There has been no word on what started the fire.