( CNN ) -- Two historic cottages in Georgia -- including one that served as a home to Franklin Roosevelt before he became president -- were destroyed by fire Tuesday morning , authorities said . The cause of the fire remained unknown Tuesday , but authorities said it may have been the result of a storm and lightning in the area . The so-called McCarthy Cottage and the E.T . Curtis Cottage in Warm Springs were discovered burning around 5:30 a.m. by an employee who lives near the property , according to a news release from the Georgia Department of Labor . The McCarthy Cottage was the first home built by Roosevelt in Warm Springs , who started traveling to the area in 1924 seeking a solution for his polio , said Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler . The E.T . Curtis cottage was built in 1928 and was adjacent to the McCarthy Cottage . The cottages were part of the Georgia Department of Labor 's Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation . The state assumed ownership of Roosevelt 's treatment center in 1974 , according to state officials . Butler said the nation has experienced a great loss with the burning of McCarthy cottage . `` Because President Roosevelt resided there for four years , the McCarthy cottage was the cottage of most historical value . '' Roosevelt lived in the cottage until 1932 when he moved to the Little White House , also in Warm Springs .
Authorities think debris from a storm may have sparked the fire . Roosevelt lived in one of the cottages for four years before he became president .