Fire Damages Exeter Town Hall [IMAGE GALLERY]

More than 50 firefighters battled a blaze at Exeter Town Hall Tuesday morning.

Sprinklers contained the fire as firefighters rushed to the scene and extinguished it, Fire Chief Brian Comeau said. The fire broke out around 8:30 a.m. in a kitchen area.

The building, which was built in the 1850s, sustained heavy water damage from sprinklers and fire hoses. No one was inside when the fire broke out, Comeau said.

"It's unfortunate," Comeau said, adding the cause of the fire is under investigation. The cost of the damage was also unknown Tuesday morning.

The fire broke out on the second floor where the Exeter Arts Committee runs an art studio, Comeau said. None of art appeared to be damaged.

The building is used for various community events and is a popular venue for politicians. Former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul launched his presidential campaign there in 2011.

Town Manager Russ Dean said the building will be closed for "quite awhile" as workers assess the damage. 

Several members of the town's Finance Department work in the building's basement. They were not in the building when the fire broke out, Comeau said. Those workers moved over to the Town Offices after the fire.

Gov. Maggie Hassan, who lives in Exeter, stopped by the scene to survey the damage.

"It's obviously a concern to see a fire in your hometown," Hassan said. "I'm grateful to the fire and police departments for containing the damage."

Roads around Town Hall were blocked off as crews fought the blaze. Those roads started to re-open shortly after 10 a.m.

Firefighters from Kensington, Kingston, Newfields, Portsmouth, North Hampton, and Amesbury, Mass. responded to the scene.