1017 Garden St. (Garden Only)

Thomas & Lucy Swinney House

1844, Federal/Italianate

(There is an audio reading of this text. Just click the "play audio" button above to listen.)

The Swinney House was built in 1844 by Thomas Swinney and his wife Lucy. The property came from Lucy’s father Paul Taber, who purchased 240 acres of land from the government land sale in 1823 at a cost of $1.25 per acre. The original house was Federal in design, with solid brick interior walls and native poplar floors.

Thomas Swinney was a wealthy landowner active in local affairs. The grounds became the Allen County Fairgrounds in 1874, including a half-mile race track. When Thomas died in 1875, his will instructed that when his direct line of issue expired, the homestead tract of 614 acres of land was to be used for a park that was to "remain open and free to the public," with a provision that his remaining children have lifetime occupancy of the home. This was the first land ever donated to the City of Fort Wayne for the purpose of a park.

In 1885, the Swinney daughters Rhesa, Francis and Caroline remodeled the house in the Italianate style, and added the south wing, with the exterior looking much as it does today. It was one of the first houses to be piped for illuminating gas, and also the first electrically lit house in Fort Wayne. In 1893, the daughters allowed the city to take early possession of the land for early development of Swinney Park.

The Homestead was continuously occupied until 1922. During that time, the annual September fair was held on the ground for a number of years, along with the city's first Labor Day celebration.

After the home was vacant, it became the Museum of the Allen County - Fort Wayne Historical Society. IN 1980, after the museum was relocated to the Old City Hall on Barr Street (now the History Museum), a non-profit group called Settlers leased and moved into the Swinney House and became teaching classes in a historical setting. As part of their mission, they also initiated the restoration of the house, which is owned by the City of Fort Wayne. The home is individually listed on the National Register of Historic places.

Behind the Swinney House sits the log house and herb garden. The Log House is much like the one the Swinney family lived in before the stately house was built. It was built in 1849 of native walnut and oak logs by John Holsinger Ulrich in Huntington County, IN. It was purchased by Settlers, laboriously moved, piece by piece, and reassembled on the Swinney Park site in 1979. It is used for Settlers’ activities and Living History presentations. It sits next to the original site of the Swinney family’s log home, in which they lived during construction of the Swinney House.

The herb garden was planted in 1976 and is maintained by Settler volunteers. The 17 beds and borders are labeled as for their use, and individual plants are labeled. Many herbs could, and do, appear in several classifications.

Feel free to venture around back to explore the garden. When you're done, walk back towards Garden Street where the two stone pillars are.