Swenson, Bailey Allen

Bailey Allen Swenson (1907-1979) was from Houston and graduated from Rice in 1932 with a BA in architecture.  He married Kathryn Thomas in 1949. She operated the first art gallery in Houston and he had an architectural office both at their live/work home at 3106 Brazos Street.  Swenson designed KSOX (1950) in Harlingen and KNUZ TV 39 (1953) which became KTRK 13 and later KUHT 8 located at 4513 Cullen Blvd. in Houston. He designed the Western Skies Motel (1952, demolished) at 2806 Old Spanish Trail described as opulent, luxurious and Houston’s swankiest motel. Two of his earlier residential designs, 2330 Dryden Rd. (1936, demolished) and 2506 Riverside Dr. (1936) had art deco styling.The heaviest concentration of his known work is more modern and located in the Riverside Terrace area including: 3934 Roseneath Dr. (1949, especially fantastic), 4619 N. Roseneath Dr. (1953), 3315 N. MacGregor Way (1948, demolished), 3126 S. MacGregor Way (1952), 3448 S. MacGregor Way (1952), 3819 S. MacGregor Way (1954, demolished, built for motel developer Leon Green), 3403 Charleston St. (1954), 3417 Charleston St. (1950) and 4216 Fernwood Dr. (1948, endangered). In Galveston, Swenson designed 4402 Caduceus Place which is similar to the July Mod of the Month.  For his church, St. Matthew Lutheran, he designed the parish hall (1942) located at 5315 Main Street.