INVESTIGATION AND THE VENUES FUTURE. SANDY MORONEY SPENT PART OF HER AFTERNOON MEETING WITH AT AND STATE FIRE MARSHAL INVESTIGATORS ONE OF SAINT CLAIR COUNTY’S MOST HISTORIC HOMES BURNED UP SATURDAY AND LIZ SORREL AND MARONI VOLUNTEER FOR THE LOCAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY. EVERYBODY IS DEVASTATED OVER THIS. THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE HEARTBREAK THE HOME WAS BUILT BY JOHN LOONEY 200 YEARS AGO AFTER FIGHTING ALONGSIDE ANDREW JACKSON AT THE BATTLE OF HORSESHOE BEND 90 MILES AWAY. THE JOHN LOONEY HOUSE HAS SERVED AS A MAGNET FOR HISTORY SEEKERS EVER SINCE THEY DIED TERRIBLE SEVERAL TOURS FROM SCHOOL CHILDREN THAT HAVE COME THROUGH AND THEN A LOT OF THEM CHOOSE AS THEIR HISTORY PROJECT IN FOURTH GRADE, TOO. WHAT MAKES THE JOHN LOONEY HOUSE. SO UNIQUE IS NOT ONLY WAS IT BUILT ABOUT 200 YEARS AGO. IT MAY BE THE OLDEST HOME IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA WITH A DOUBLE DOG TROT, WHICH I’M TOLD IS A BREEZEWAY ON THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS, BUT NOW AFTER STATE AND FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS STUDIED THE HOME’S CHARGED FRAME FOR HOURS. THEY’RE CONVINCED AN ARSONIST SAID THE PIECE OF HISTORY ON FIRE IF SOMEBODY DID DO IT, THEN THEY’RE NOT GONNA BEAT US WE’RE GONNA WE’RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF IT. IT’S GONNA BE OKAY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WE’RE HOPE IS THAT WE CAN RESTORE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE’LL BE ABLE TO HAVE AGAIN, SO THEY CAN TAKE STUDENTS BACK TO THE COMMUNITY’S EARLIEST DAYS FOR YEARS TO COME IN