John Looney House and Pioneer Museum
The John Looney House and Pioneer Museum' is a two-story dog-trot house constructed about 1820 by John Looney after he relocated his family from Maury County, Tennessee to Beaver Valley in the vicinity of what is now Ashville in St Clair County in 1817. The house is located at 4187 Greensport Road (St Clair County Highway 24).
The log house with wood-shake roof was once covered with wood siding. The foundation is laid with locally-quarried stone spanned by cedar sill beams. The walls are stacks of 16" squared pine logs dovetailed at the corners and pegged with dowels. The chimneys at each end were constructed of hand-pressed brick in a Flemish bond. The open dog-trot allowed air to circulate throughout the house and provided a covered breezeway for shelter during hot or rainy days.
The property was purchased by John and Sam Lonnergan in 1888. They sold it to Colonel Joseph Creitz who eventually deeded it to St Clair County, effective September 16, 1972.
The St Clair Historical Society was organized and immediately began to restore the house. The society installed period furnishings and historical displays and continues to maintain the house and museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The society opens the house for tours one weekend each month and hosts an annual St Clair County Fall Festival there each October.
References
- Coman, Victoria L. (October 7, 2009) "St. Clair group hosts festival at historic John Looney House." Birmingham News
External links
- St Clair Historical Society website