Theodore Swann residence

The Theodore Swann residence or Swann Castle was constructed from 1927 to 1930 on Redmont Road for industrialist Theodore Swann. The five-story English-manor style home, designed by William Warren of Warren, Knight and Davis, was the largest in Birmingham when it was constructed.

Two storys, clad in local sandstone, and the attic, covered with a steep slate roof, are visible from the front, while two underground levels give access to terraces in the rear of the property, overlooking Jones Valley. The multi-gabled roofline is punctuated with five pairs of Welsh-made terra-cotta chimney pots.

The decor of the main floor was assisted by Lyman W. Cleveland of Philadelphia. The dining room recreated a Georgian-style parlor with Greek key doorways and a Sterling silver chandelier. The adjacent breakfast room was in the Adam style with a black and white checkered marble tile floor. The other principal rooms were in a darker, more Medieval style, with large stone fireplaces, stained glass windows, and rich carved wood paneling.

The "Norman Room" was designed to reproduce exactly the T-shaped great hall from the 9th century Castle Hedingham in Essex, a keep built by Alberic de Vere, the son-in-law of William the Conqueror. Swann sent engineers to England to produce detailed drawings of that and other rooms he admired. Sharing this lower-level was a multi-room English tavern with low, beamed ceilings and artificial windows with lights that could be adjusted to mimic different times of day. A replica of Cardinal Richelieu's kitchen, with a massive turning spit, completed the theatrical effect.

The servant's rooms were arrayed across the lower level and in attic areas. The main kitchen was a marvel of modern technology with fresh air vents for the produce storage, refrigerated cabinets for cold storage, hot and cold running water, and pressurized water for use in case of fire. The butler's pantry featured stainless steel sinks and a communications board with indicator lights and an intercom. Other new technologies put into use included a residential elevator, a security alarm, a central vacuum and a television antenna (about 20 years before any television broadcasts were available in Birmingham).

The terraces and grounds were landscaped by William Henry Kessler with sophisticated drainage and irrigation.

Conservation of the Swann residence has been undertaken since 2003, under the guidance of Atlanta preservation architect Jack Pyburn.

History

The grand debut of the Swann Castle came in 1930 with opera soprano Grace Moore serenading guests from the landing of the grand stairway which descended into the Norman hall.

Swann entertained the members of the 1931 University of Alabama football team after their 24-0 victory over Washington State in the Rose Bowl.

After the Swanns, the house has had several owners, including the Waters, Franklin, Simpson, Knapp, Fant and Coleman families. The woman of the house was murdered in her husband's bed while he was out of town in the 1970s. The case has never been solved.

References

• Griffith, Edward and Carolyn Green Satterfield (1999) The Triumphs and Troubles of Theodore Swann. Montgomery: Black Belt Press. ISBN 1-880216-57-4
• Schnorrenberg, John M. "The Theodore Swann House, Birmingham, Alabama: Learning and Fantasy in 1926" Birmingham: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
• Harmon, Ricky, producer "How Rare a Possession" Alabama Experience television program. University of Alabama Center for Public Television & Radio.

External links

• Film stills from the construction of the Swann residence in 1928.
• The Banqueting Hall at Castle Hedingham.