Restoring a Columbia Gem
By Mary Skinner
Just few short blocks from the Columbia Courthouse sits one of Maury County’s most historic homes. The original home, which was built over 185 years ago, has had many famous people, past and present, pass across the enchanting front porch and through the impressive front entrance. When the current owners walked through, Angie and Carl Jones, knew they were opening a door to the next chapter of their lives.
Angie and Carl, who met in college and married thereafter, renovated many old homes in the early days of their marriage. As their family expanded, two sons and twin daughters, they settled for a modern-day suburban home. In 2016, knowing they would soon become empty-nesters, they decided they wanted to find the home they had always dreamed of and take on one last restoration project.
“I knew I wanted a home that predated the Civil War,” Angie explained. “We learned about the Looney home, but also heard that the house had been unmaintained for almost 30 years and prior to that, it had been divided up into apartments. Many people had looked at the home and decided it required too much blood, sweat, tears and cash to make it the showplace it once was. When Carl and I walked inside the faded treasure, we knew this was the project we had envisioned.”
As the Jones began literally digging around the home and grounds many fascinating stories began to unfold. On Mother’s Day, Angie’s children were helping her dig in the backyard garden and they discovered an old brick walkway. It is believed to be part of property where Andrew Johnson, 17th president of the United States, once had a log cabin. According to Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University, a tailor named Johnson lived in a cabin on the property around 1824, before the Looney home was built. The Jones have maintained the old brick walkway and plan to use much of original brick from old cabin as they continue renovations.
The Federal style house was built in 1835 by David Looney for his new bride Mary Anne Maguire, who died just five years later. The home is full of more legend and lore. It can be assured since James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States, who grew up one block away, had been a guest of the house.
It also is documented the home was used as a headquarters and a hospital for Union soldiers during the Civil War. Blood stains can still be found on the floorboards. “Former owners often reported seeing ghosts in the house and Angie says she too once saw something,” reports Carl. He has written several blogs on the ghost stories which local residents have told them. These stories along with newspaper clippings from the archives can be found on the Looney Jones House website that the couple created. Along with restoration updates, it also showcases other entertaining aspects about the home.
Not long after the Jones had purchased the home in 2017, they invited family and friends over to see firsthand what place looked like in its current state. After seeing the intriguing patina of the old walls and the gorgeous light flooding through the early 1880s windows, one of their friends, filmmaker Elvis Wilson, suggested they consider letting the home be used as a location in local productions.
“The timing on this was perfect for us,” Carl goes on to say. “We still were working on plans, getting bids from contractors, and thought while we weren’t living in the house, this would be the time to it. I had worked as an extra on the ABC television series Nashville, so I had prior knowledge of what this encompassed.”
Since the first independent short, Les Confinés, about how a Jewish woman on the run in 1940s Germany finds shelter in an open cellar, the historic home has starred in countless films and music videos. From Luke Bryan’s production of “Build Me a Daddy” to Maddie Walker’s video for “Love Her Again” to Lee Brice’s album cover for “One of Them Girls,” the list goes on. The Russian-American singer Sasha Sloan performed her ethereal lyrics “A House a With No Mirrors” bathed in ghostly light seeping in through the old windows.
During this time, the Jones family had moved into the back rooms of the old home after the completion of a new wing, approved by the historic zoning commission, provided them with beautifully designed bedrooms, bathrooms, a gorgeous kitchen and an exquisite studio space for Angie … complete with ceiling high bookshelves and a fireplace.
According to Angie, “The house continues to provide us with wonderful stories. You just have to go to our website see all the stories about this amazing house and watch our progress as we continue to restore the Looney Jones House to its former glory.”
MARY SKINNER is a local writer, history lover and preservationist.
ANGIE and CARL JONES are both successful graphic designers and owners of the Looney Jones House. Carl’s award-winning photography is featured in this article and on website looneyjoneshouse.wordpress.com along with more information about the house.