The earliest records of this area show that Moses and David Looney were among the first pioneer settlers to make homes in the wilderness of Virginia which later became Sullivan County, Tennessee. Recently, historians have found and located the original, 383-acre Moses Looney land grant and they have identified this early, log building as Moses Looney's Fort House. It is the only fort house left standing of the four original forts which were vital to the settlement of Sullivan County before 1776.

Moses Looney's log house was an important link in the fortification for this region of Tennessee. King's Mill became fortified as early as 1770 and Looney's Fort House, Ramsey's Fort House and Eaton's Fort House formed a tight protective triangle for the early settlers who were often forced to seek refuge during Indian raids" on their homesteads. Accounts dating from this period show that settlers took refuge at Moses Looney's during Lord Dunsmore's War and the Indian raids of 1774. Again in 1776 large numbers of settlers were forted at Looney's from July to September. The Island Road was built through this region by Virginia military men. The Island Road was the first wagon road, built as a military road to fortifications located on the Holston River. Constructed in 1761, it is second in age to Cresap's or Braddock's Road from northern Virginia to Maryland and western Pennsylvania.

On February 7, 1780, the first official organization of Sullivan County took place at Moses Looney's. David Looney was a first justice of the peace in the new county. He became a major in the militia and later resigned as a lieutenant colonel in 1781. He and nine other justices of the peace were present for the now historic meetings of the court which met at Looney's fort house. The court continued to meet there at in other buildings in this area up until 1785. - NRHP, 2 February 1977