History of the Caswell Family

Daniel Haskell Caswell, Sr., was born November 14, 1836, in Harrison, Maine. He was an adventurer and entreprenuer who built his first mill for extracting oil from cottonseed in Tennesee in the late 1800s. He moved to Austin in 1895 and purchased a cottonseed oil mill at 5th St. & Chicon, the Austin Oil Manufacturing Company. Around 1899, he began construction of an elegant two-story stone house at 1404 West Avenue and was first listed at this address in 1900. At that time, the home was considered to be on the far northwest corner of the city and was a residential place of prominence.

The Caswell family made major contributions to the Austin economy through their work in the cotton industry as well as to the community. Haskell, the older son, followed his father's footsteps running the family business. William, the younger son, was involved in civic endeavors, including serving on the original board of directors to raise funds for Memorial Stadium at UT, building the Austin Athletic Club, serving as an original board member of Parks & Recreation Board (including serving as its chairman for 12 years), promoting construction of the first public road up Mt. Bonnell, and planning the tennis center at 24th St. & Lamar that bears the Caswell name as well as donating half the money to build it. William also served on the YMCA Board and city planning committee, and served as director of St. David's hospital and the chamber of commerce.

The original Caswell Family Estate was quite large. With West Avenue serving as its eastern boundary, the estate extended westward to Shoal Creek. There were three Caswell Family homes: the Daniel H. Caswell (Sr.) House; a home where 15th Street now runs, which belonged to Haskell (Daniel, Jr.); and the home that currently stands north of 15th Street, the William T. Caswell House. William lived in his home until his death in 1962. Haskell's house was comdemned by eminent domain in 1966 when the city attempted to make 15th Street into a traffic conduit connecting IH-35 and Mo-Pac. Daniel, Sr., lived in his house until his death in 1916, and his wife Louese lived here until her death in 1927. The house remained in the family through the mid-1930s.

History of AJF and the Daniel H. Caswell House

In November 1978, AJF submitted a bid to the City of Austin for the purchase of the Daniel H. Caswell House. The City Council awarded the home to AJF for the purchase price of $125,830 and the closing took place on January 5, 1979. The Daniel H. Caswell House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is honored as a Texas Historic Landmark. AJF members and their families spent many laborious hours working to rehabilitate the interior of this stately home. In 1983, the Daniel H. Caswell House was chosen as the Hospice Designer Show House, and the interior was magnificently restored.

After the purchase of the Daniel H. Caswell House, additional fundraising was required to pay off the mortgage and fund interior restoration. The birth of Lone Star Legacy, Bluebonnet Edition, met this requirement. Members of AJF gathered their recipes and spent three years testing, tasting, and finally producing their first cookbook. After one year of sales and marketing, the members gathered to "burn the mortgage" as the Caswell House note had been paid in full! Due to the great acceptance and success of their first cookbook, AJF released the Lone Star Legacy II, Indian Paint Brush Edition, in 1985. In 1996, Changing Thymes, the new and improved cookbook that added a nutritional analysis after each recipe, was released. Proceeds from the sales of these cookbooks have been returned to the community in the form of grants.

The pride and accomplishment in restoring the Caswell House prompted a new "ways and means" idea. Following the success of the Hospice Designer Show House, the ladies of Austin Junior Forum, in partnership with local businesses, transformed the Victorian home into a "Fantasy Christmas" showcase, and on November 30, 1983, opened its doors to the public for a week of celebration and shopping. From that first Christmas, the holiday tradition of Christmas at the Caswell House was established. Today, Christmas at the Caswell House continues to serve the dual purpose of raising funds for Austin Junior Forum's Grants Program, which provides much-needed funds to charities and non-profits serving our community, and gives the people of Austin and the surrounding community the opportunity to visit and enjoy this distinguished historic mansion.