HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
The 1910 home of a Swedish-American Abilene banker, remodeled in 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival style — where Shirley Swenson, who died in 1974, is said to still host the holiday parties.
1726 Swenson St, Abilene, TX 79603
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Docent-guided tours $15 per person. Annual Haunted Abilene event in October: $15; ages 5 and under free with paying adult.
Access
Limited Access
Two-story historic home; tours involve stairs
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1910 · National Register of Historic Places · Texas Commission Historical Landmark · Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture · Abilene Preservation History
William Gray Swenson was born the son of Swedish immigrants and came to Abilene as a young man, where he built a career as a banker and entrepreneur. He married Shirley McCollum, whom he had met as a student at Southwestern University. Together they commissioned the Abilene architect William P. Preston to design their home on a 58-acre property in 1910. Preston produced a two-story Prairie-Style brick structure with a porch spanning the length of the front and one side.
Swenson's business interests shaped Abilene: he held leadership positions at Citizens National Bank from its founding in 1902 through the 1960s, led Abilene Light and the Abilene Ice Company, helped establish the Abilene and Northern Railroad and the Roscoe, Snyder and Pacific Railroad, and built the Mims Building in 1926 and the Hilton Hotel in 1927.
In 1928 the Swensons undertook a major remodeling. Additions included brick veneer, a red tile roof, a front dormer, a grape arbor, and mission-style windows above the entrance porch modeled on those at Mission San José in San Antonio. The resulting Spanish Colonial Revival exterior transformed the appearance of the house significantly.
William Gray Swenson died in 1969; Shirley Swenson died in 1974. The house remained in the Swenson family until 1986, when it was donated to the Abilene Preservation League. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and carries a Texas Commission Historical Landmark designation. The Swenson House Historical Society now manages it as an event venue and educational site.
Sources
The paranormal reports at the Swenson House center on a single figure: Shirley Swenson, who lived in the house from 1910 until her death in 1974. Visitors have described encountering a woman in a long gray formal dress during events at the house — specifically during holiday parties, the kind Shirley Swenson was known to host during her lifetime. The apparition appears to those in attendance as a presence continuing domestic activities rather than as a threatening or distressed figure.
Additional reported phenomena include lights flickering without electrical cause, doors opening without being touched, and electronic devices activating or shutting down independently. The Abilene Preservation League uses the house annually for the 'Haunted Abilene' event each October — now in its fifteenth year — which arrives via historic trolley and ends at the Swenson House as its finale location.
The house's character as a preserved family home rather than a commercial property gives the Shirley Swenson accounts an unusual consistency: multiple sources describe the same gray gown and the same context of holiday gatherings, without the variation that often appears in ghost lore accumulated across multiple unrelated reporters.
Notable Entities
Hour-long docent-guided tours through the 1910 home and its 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival additions — red tile roof, mission-style windows based on San José in San Antonio, grape arbor, and original period furnishings. The tour covers the Swenson family history, the home's architectural evolution, and its place in Abilene preservation history.
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