AMERICAN MILITARY UNIVERSITY
Charles Town, West Virginia
Final Project Proposal
Submitted By
Jonathan Wood
4227250
HIST521
9 May 2013
PROJECT TITLE: William G. Swenson’s Extravagant Early 20th Century Home
The intent of my public history project is to provide a virtual tour of wealthy businessman
William G. Swenson’s early 20th century house in Abilene, TX. Built in 1910, the two-story
structure has a 5,800-foot layout, which makes it one of Abilene’s largest and finest houses.1 To
complete the project, I’ll work in conjunction with the Bill Minter of the Abilene Preservation
League (APL) who owns and operates the historic Swenson House.2
The house is historically significant for its age and workmanship, but also for the famous
Abilenian who owned it.3 As far back as 1930, Mr. Swenson helped develop the Abilene area in
which his name was attached to almost every new business growth.4 With help from an architect,
the house was designed by Mr. Swenson, which took two years to construct. He lived in the
house until his death in 1969 and his family members until 1990.
The virtual tour will focus on different areas located inside the house such as the butler’s pantry,
kitchen, back staircase, living room, sunroom, bedrooms and bathrooms. With photographs of
these areas, I’ll reveal some of the key features in the home such as leaded stained glass
windows, brass hardware, sliding pocket doors and oval dining room.5
In order to view the Swenson House one has to schedule with the APL, as it is not open to the
public on a regular basis. To fill this viewing void, I will create a virtual tour of the Swenson
House to be posted on the APL’s public website. Capturing the historic detail of a house this size
will require multiple visits as lighting and camera angles may be an issue. To ensure quality
photographs and detailed research, I’ve planned four visits to the house. The estimated costs
involved with this project including transportation, photography equipment, average consultancy
rate and computer equipment is approximately $2,000. However, since this project is for an
AMU course, this will be an in-kind gift to the APL as they deal with funding issues like many
other agencies.
1. Abilene Preservation League, “Swenson, William G. and Shirley A., House,” National Register of
Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, 1979.
2. “1910 Swenson House,” Abilene Preservation League, http://www.abilenepreservation.org/index.html
(accessed may 6, 2013).
3. Katharyn Duff, “Mr.Swenson: Part of Abilene Genesis,” The Abilene Reporter-News, Nov 28, 1965.
4. Katharyn Duff, “Drama, Courage Fill Business History,” The Abilene Reporter-News, Dec 5, 1965.
5. Abilene Preservation League, “Swenson, William G. and Shirley A., House,” National Register of
Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, 1979.