LIVERMORE - Last night's fire that destroyed the barn at the Washburn-Norlands Living History Center in Livermore was accidental, according to the state fire marshal's office.

Fire Marshal Sgt. Joel Davis said a heat lamp started the fire. The lamp was being used to keep a pig and her 18 piglets warm. The sow, piglets and three chickens died in the fire.

Trustees of the center have vowed to rebuild structures that were destroyed by a fire.

Operating Director Nancey Drinkwine says the consensus of the board is that Norlands will be rebuilt, regardless of the cost.

The massive barn was destroyed Monday night, and part of a farmer's cottage was damaged. But firefighters say the meeting house is intact and there was only light smoke damage in the grand mansion.

Norlands is the ancestral home of the Washburn family, which included governors, members of Congress, a secretary of state and a civil war general. The 445-acre property is now a living museum and working farm that includes a schoolhouse, a church and a library.