William G. and Shirley Swenson Home

This two-story brick home was designed by abilene architect William P. Preston for the family of William Gray and Shirley (McCollum) Swenson, and was completed ca. 1910. Swenson was a first generation Swedish-American, and he was a lifelong entrepreneur and businessman in Abilene. He held leadership positions at Citizens National Bank from the time of its founding in 1902 until the 1960s and also presided over Abilene Light and the Abilene Ice Company. Swenson worked to establish and served on the boards of both the Abilene and Northern Railroad and the Roscoe, Snyder and Pacific Railroad. His real estate projects included the Mims Building (1926) and the Hilton Hotel (1927). The Swensons were founding members of St. Paul Methodist Church, and they raised their four children in this home. The house’s original cypress siding was covered with buff brick veneer in 1928, exterior cypress columns were replaced with brick columns, and the wood shake roof was converted to clay tile. Also during this renovation, a porch on the south side was enclosed and a second floor sunroom was added. The home features the broad overhangs and long, horizontal lines indicative of the prairie architectural style. Mission-style elements include quatrefoil windows and a curved dormer over the front entrance. After the deaths of W.G. Swenson in 1969 and Shirley Swenson in 1974, ownership of the house remained in the Swenson family until 1986, when it was donated to the Abilene Preservation League.

William G. and Shirley Swenson Home is a historical marker in Abilene, Taylor County, dedicated in 2010. It is one of 49 historical markers documented in Taylor County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 129 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 32.4695, -99.7414 near Abilene. The nearest cataloged historic site is Swenson, William and Shirley, House (historic place), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Higginbotham, J. G., House, Fritz, David C. and Docia, House, and Abilene Street Railway Company Barn.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016526. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.