A familiar and much-loved Abilene landmark, the Swenson House has played host to fundraising events, receptions, photo shoots and even ghost tours. But before it became a public treasure, it played perhaps its most important role – home.
The Legacy of William Gray Swenson
The home’s past is as storied as the couple who raised their family there. William Gray Swenson arrived in Abilene in the early 1900s as the grandson of Swante M. Swenson, a prominent Swedish-Texas rancher and businessman who established the vast SMS Ranches and helped encourage Swedish immigration to Texas.
Raised with a legacy of enterprise, Mr. Swenson carved out his role as a forward-thinking businessman in West Texas. He quickly became a pillar of Abilene’s commercial life, helping found Citizens National Bank, organizing the Abilene Street Railway Company and leading key utility companies such as the Abilene Light and Ice Company. His leadership helped bring round-the-clock electricity to Abilene, a major advancement for the time.
Mr. Swenson was not only involved in banking and utilities, but also real estate and development. He oversaw projects like the Hilton Hotel in downtown Abilene, served as a director for multiple regional railway lines and helped manage the subdivision of family ranch land into neighborhoods and commercial centers. As president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1923 and a school board member for eight years, he had a profound influence on the city’s civic and economic growth.
Originally situated on 58-acres and designed by William P. Preston—a leading Abilene architect known for blending Prairie, Classical and Mission Revival styles—the 5800 square foot home was an early expression of the Prairie School style emphasizing horizontal lines, broad eaves and integration with the landscape.
Preston worked primarily in early 20th-century architectural styles popular in Texas at the time, often merging regional influences with national trends, favoring symmetry, craftsmanship and stylistic adaptation to the West Texas climate and materials.
A Spanish Revival Transformation
The home’s most dramatic transformation came in 1928 when the Swensons remodeled in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The exterior was refaced with buff brick, and a red-clay tile roof replaced the original wood shingles.
One of the home’s most compelling design features is its quatrefoil windows, paired with a curved dormer above the front entrance—both added during the 1928 Spanish-style renovation. These elements are directly modeled on the iconic windows at Mission San José in San Antonio, itself inspired by the original 18th-century Spanish-Mission architecture.
The choice to adapt the quatrefoil motif to the home was a deliberate nod to Texas heritage and a bold fusion of Prairie lines and Mission grace. The windows not only anchor the house in its later historic style but also are a subtle reference to an enduring cultural and architectural lineage.
According to Suanna Davis, Swenson Historical Society trustee and assistant house manager, the windows in the Swenson house are the only copies that are not located in a mission.
Inspired by the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver – known for its graceful symmetry and flowing lines and, according to Suanna, a hotel the Swensons visited and “loved” – one of the most striking features is the home’s central staircase. Rising in two elegant curves to a second-floor landing that overlooks the foyer, this design seamlessly blends beauty with a sense of Western permanence that suited their home and family life.
High ceilings, dark wood paneling, Tiffany-style art glass and cypress-wood details add texture and complement the architecture. It was not only the design that reflected the couple’s taste and interests – the home features furnishings and decorative pieces the couple acquired while traveling the world, including European antiques, fine china and art that still adorns the space today.
Alongside these treasures from abroad, their décor reminds us that this grand house is at its core a family home. Black-and-white photos of their four children and photos of the family’s trip to Yellowstone National Park share space with priceless objects from exotic destinations such as the Middle East and elsewhere.
Describing the house as a place designed “very much to show off,” Suanna said it does so in a way that is not ostentatious or garish. “I think the house is elegant,” she said, “It’s a lovely home that shows how people lived in a different time. And it is clear the family really lived there.”
And as Suanna said, “their styles were eclectic – they picked what they loved.”
A talented artist herself, one of Mrs. Swenson’s paintings – a still-life with pink flowers painted before she married – graces a south wall near the staircase. She also hand painted Limoges china, which was a fashionable pastime for women of her social standing during the early 20th century. Two of her pieces, one adorned with poppies and the other – a vase picturing wisteria – are on display in the dining room.
A Home Ahead of its Time
For all its beauty and eye toward design, the Swenson House is also an example of forward-thinking functionality.
Among the home’s notable innovations was its original electrical panel – a breaker box located in the butler’s pantry. At a time when many homes still relied on fuses, this panel was ahead of its time, offering a safer and more efficient way to manage power. This also reflected Mr. Swenson’s own business interest in bringing reliable electric service to the City, as this was one of the first homes in Abilene to benefit from around-the-clock electricity.
A unique feature that blends aesthetics and functional design is the second-floor sunroom, or “summer porch,” also added during the 1928 renovation.
With its expansive windows and strategic location above the front porch, the room was designed to let in breezes and natural light long before the advent of air conditioning.
Serving as a passive climate control system, Suanna said the family of six would often all sleep on the porch during the summer months.
Another innovative feature – and one that is most often associated with modern homes, not homes built over 100 years ago – are “rain showers” in the upstairs bathrooms. At the time such features were a rare luxury, especially in a residential setting. Their inclusion reflected not only the Swensons’ appreciation for comfort and innovation, but also their commitment to integrating cutting-edge conveniences that were typically found in upscale hotels or spas of the era.
Outside, the grounds were designed with equal care.
A grapevine-covered arbor still stands in the backyard, supported by the original cypress columns from the front porch prior to the 1928 remodel. This serene space became a favorite spot for gatherings and continues to host events today.
From Private Residence to Public Treasure
By the late 20th century, the house had passed through generations of the Swenson family. In 1991, recognizing its historic value, the family donated the home to the Abilene Preservation League. Restoration efforts began in earnest, focusing on structural stabilization, roof repair after a severe hailstorm, electrical upgrades and garden rehabilitation.
Local legend says the tranquil Swenson House harbors something beyond the living. During the annual Haunted Abilene event (run by the Swenson House Historical Society since around 2010), guests report the gentle apparition of “a lady dressed in gray” who drifts down the grand staircase and vanishes softly. This figure is widely believed to be Mrs. Swenson’s mother, who would stay at the home when her eldest grandson was away at college.
Visitors and staff have also described subtle yet eerie phenomena. Suanna said that staff have heard the ringing of the 1930’s telephone that is not connected, as well as the ringing of the original electric doorbell – also not connected. Local sources also report that one guest on a ghost tour even claimed to have seen a shadow figure glide through a window, then disappear inside.
In 2019, the Swenson House Historical Society, a nonprofit made up of Swenson descendants and community volunteers, took over the home’s stewardship. Their mission has been to preserve the home’s legacy while opening its doors to the public.
Today, the house is a dynamic space for private parties, tours, photo ops, weddings, educational programs for school children as well as a variety of community events, all offering a graceful backdrop steeped in more than a century of Abilene history.
“This is very much a historically significant house, but it is definitely not a museum – rather it is meant to be enjoyed by the community,” Suanna said.
Among the most popular happenings is “Haunted Abilene,” a Halloween-themed fundraiser where the home is transformed into a spooky attraction filled with theatrical storytelling and eerie ambiance. The event blends local folklore with the house’s rumored paranormal activity.
Suanna said there are game nights for Historical Society members, and the community can purchase tickets for their adult costume party called Boo Bash that will be held on Halloween night, as well as a Christmas murder mystery in December.
With its rich past, architectural elegance and enduring place in the community, the Swenson House remains not just a place to visit, but a story to step into. It is a home that remembers, a house that hosts and a landmark that lives—proof that heritage, when preserved with care and vision, can continue to enrich the lives of generations to come.
For more information on events and tours or how to become a member of the Swenson House Historical Society contact 325-232-8454 or swensonhousefriends@gmail.com or visit www.swensonhouse.com.
By Molly Hill
