A year ago this month the Historical Society was doing a bulk of their restoration on the house to repair damage it had taken over the years. Photo by Jamie Browder

The Looney House in Ashville caught fire on Aug. 6. The Ashville Fire Department was dispatched at 5:36 a.m.

According to the press release by the city, units arrived on scene to find the structure well involved by the fire. It was put out with the help of Steele and Shoal Creek fire departments. The house is described as “heavily damaged.”

The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and State Fire Marshall were also on scene.

The upstairs was damaged the most and artifacts were destroyed.

How it started and whether or not it was an intentional fire is still under investigation by the Ashville Fire Department and the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office.

“As a citizen, as somebody that grew up in the area, I think I can safely say that we’re all collectively devastated,” said Mayor Derrick Mostella.

Mostella is the nephew of Earnest Mostella, who was a famous fiddle maker in Ashville. There was a display honoring his uncle, and he’s currently unsure if the display survived the fire.

“It’s part of the fabric of our community, and who we are, and certainly a large part of the history of this area. So, it’s a tough pill to swallow for us but we are resilient bunch here in this area.”

Plans have already been set in motion to begin restoration once the investigation is closed.

Liz Sorrell, secretary of the St. Clair Historical Society, said they are heartbroken, but the interior and roof took a bulk of the damage from the flames.

“It’s a very sickening feeling to look at that and know what all is lost,” said Sorrell.

“I know that it is not a complete loss. There’s a lot that has been lost. There’s still some furniture that was able to get out and be saved,” said Sorrell.

She said the Historical Society believes the house can still be restored.

“We are very determined to try to get it back restored as soon as we can. It will take a lot of money and we will be very dependent on the community to fund it,” said

A year ago this month the Historical Society was doing a bulk of their restoration on the house to repair damage it had taken over the years.

Sandi Maroney, president of the St. Clair Historical Society, posted on Facebook, requesting that the public stay away from the property while fire investigators continue their work.

“All I can say, at this moment, the historical society is not giving up on our house. It’s not a loss, we are just having to wait until we are cleared and the investigation is concluded to start moving forward with our next plans,” said Maroney.

The house was regularly used for tours and served as a museum for the Looney Family and history of the surrounding area.

It is believed to be the oldest double foxtrot building in Alabama. The house was first built in 1818 by John Looney and his son, Henry. Both were veterans of the War of 1812, and served under the command of Andrew Jackson.

The house went through two more owners until it was sold to the St. Clair Historical Society in 1942 to operate as a museum.

If anyone has any information about the fire can call Investigator Greg Watson at 205-884-3333 or State Fire Marshall Riley Foshee at 334-241-4166.