Swedish Hill Historic District (Austin, Texas)

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Swedish Hill Historic District
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Location Austin, Texas
Coordinates 30°16′30″N97°43′46″W / 30.27500°N 97.72944°W / 30.27500; -97.72944 Coordinates: 30°16′30″N97°43′46″W / 30.27500°N 97.72944°W / 30.27500; -97.72944
Area 40 acres
Architect Multiple
Architectural style Late Victorian
MPS East Austin MRA
NRHP reference # 86001088
Added to NRHP May 12, 1986

The Swedish Hill Historic District is a former Swedish enclave that is now a residential area of downtown Austin, Texas. Often referred to as "Swede Hill."

Austin, Texas State capital city in Texas, United States

Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. It is the 11th-most populous city in the United States and the 4th-most populous city in Texas. It is also the fastest growing large city in the United States, the second most populous state capital after Phoenix, Arizona, and the southernmost state capital in the contiguous United States. As of the U.S. Census Bureau's July 1, 2017 estimate, Austin had a population of 950,715 up from 790,491 at the 2010 census. The city is the cultural and economic center of the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan statistical area, which had an estimated population of 2,115,827 as of July 1, 2017. Located in Central Texas within the greater Texas Hill Country, it is home to numerous lakes, rivers, and waterways, including Lady Bird Lake and Lake Travis on the Colorado River, Barton Springs, McKinney Falls, and Lake Walter E. Long.

Contents

Development of this area began in the 1870s when a large number of Swedish immigrants erected homes near their downtown businesses. The first to build his home there was S. A. Lundell; soon thereafter Carl John Swahn built his house there, and many others followed. Eventually some sixty-seven Swedish immigrant families built homes in the vicinity and the neighborhood became known as Svenska Kullen (Swedish Hill)—originally bounded by Waller Street on the east, Red River Street on the west, 15th Street on the south, and 19th Street on the north (today Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard) — known more familiarly as Swede Hill.

These immigrants founded the first Swedish Methodist Church in Texas, and helped to establish Texas Wesleyan College, just north of the present-day University of Texas. Today the community comprises an eclectic mix of students and urban dwellers. [1]

Over time, urban development, most notably the construction of I-35 and the Frank Erwin Center, shrunk the size of the community dramatically. In 1986, what remained was added to the National Register of Historic Places. [2]

Frank Erwin Center

The Frank C. Erwin Jr. Center is a multi-purpose arena located on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas. It is also sometimes referred to as "The Drum" or "The Superdrum", owing to its round, drum-like appearance from outside.

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

Description and significance

Located on lots in the original City of Austin and subdivided and developed earlier than most other parts of East Austin, Swedish Hill was a residential neighborhood occupied by downtown business people and tradesmen. Its significance derives not only from the broad range of architectural styles which is represented in the District, but also from the fact that each building is an excellent example of its own particular style. [3]

Architectural styles which are represented in the District are vernacular versions of the Victorian L plan, T plan, Cumberland plan, late Victorian corner-porch plan, Pyramidal plan, and Bungalow plan. All of the buildings are finely detailed; many display pleasing carpentry ornamentation in the forms of porch columns, balusters, railings, brackets, spindles, and a variety of siding and shingling types. [4]

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References

  1. "Shadow Lawn Historical District". Texas Historical Site Atlas. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved Sep 8, 2011.
  2. "Travis County, Texas". National Register of Historical Places. Retrieved Sep 8, 2011.
  3. "Swedish Hill History". Swede Hill Neighborhood Association. 2009–2011. Retrieved Sep 8, 2011.
  4. "Travis County, Texas". National Register of Historical Places. Retrieved Sep 8, 2011.