St. Clair
St. Clair County, founded in November 1818, is the only county in the state with two seats of government, Ashville and Pell City. This arrangement was established because the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains made traveling across the county difficult. The courthouse in Ashville, built in 1845, is the centerpiece of the historic district. A block from the town square is the John W. Inzer Museum. Not far from Ashville is the John Looney Pioneer House Museum, which is a two-story, dogtrot house built in the 1820s. It is considered one of the oldest of its type in the state. The nature park Horse Pens 40, which sits atop Chandler Mountain, features unique sandstone rock formations.