Swedish Hill Historic District
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Swedish Hill Historic District is a former Swedish enclave that is now a residential area of downtown Austin, Texas. Swedish Hill (or Swede Hill) was once bounded by 15th Street, Red River Street, Waller Street, and 19th Street (today Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard). 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.
The community was settled by Swedish immigrants as early as the 1870s. 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.
[edit] Texas Historical Commission Marker Text
Residential development of this area began in the 1870s when a number of Swedish immigrants erected homes near their downtown businesses. Initially bounded by Red River, 14th, 18th, and Navasota streets, the neighborhood became known as Svenska Kullen (Swedish Hill). A Swedish Methodist and other Swedish churches were built in the area, which was later divided by the interstate highway. A number of historic houses remain in the section of Swedish Hill that is east of the interstate. the neighborhood was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[1]
