Virginia

Fire destroys 100-year-old barn at Cox Farms

Flames leveled Cox Farms' beloved sunflower barn, killing a dozen chickens

Cox Farms/Fairfax County Fire and Rescue

A popular destination in Northern Virginia for fall festivities lost its historic barn in a fire over the weekend.

Firefighters discovered flames shooting out of the roof of the barn at Cox Farms in Centreville about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department said.

No people were hurt. Cox Farms posted on Facebook that a dozen chickens were killed. A tractor was also destroyed, along with a large sunflower and other artwork that adorned the barn.

"Our landscape won't be the same without it. But mostly, we are so glad that the damage was contained, and our homes and our people are all safe," the post read in part.

A photo from the fire department shows firefighters hosing down the rubble left behind by the fire as clouds of smoke rise from the debris.

Built about 100 years ago, the structure was once a dairy barn, Cox Farms said. Although old, "it served us well, and it has been a sturdy (and beautiful) backdrop for decades," the farm's post said.

Cox Farms said Leona, a well-known pig on the property, was not affected by the fire because she only lived at the barn during the fall seasons.

It's not clear what caused the fire and officials are investigating.

Loudoun County firefighters also responded to help extinguish the flames.

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