Historic Maxwell-Sweet home to open for tours
The Siloam Springs Museums upcoming fundraiser, Walls Talk: Historic Home Tour, will explore the intriguing stories behind the Maxwell-Sweet home, owned by Gloria McEnroe.
The event, which will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 22 at the home, located at 114 South College Street, will include guided tours of the home, unveiling of the museum remodel plans, piano entertainment by Lloyd Whitcomb and refreshments.
The home tour is designed to raise awareness of what the museum has to offer, according to Katie Rennard, museum board president.
“I just think for us as a museum, we are very excited to offer unique opportunities for people
to engage with history,” Rennard said.
A highlight of the evening will be the unveiling of architectural plans for remodeling the museum building.
“We are very excited that we are going to be able to unveil the plans that Matt Pearson has drawn up for us on that evening,” Rennard said.
The Maxwell-Sweet home is of interest to Siloam Springs and is seldom seen by a broad section of the community, Rennard said. The museum is focusing on the home because there is a lot to be said about the house and its former occupants, said Karin Woodruff, director of education and public outreach for the museum.
The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, according to Don Warden, museum director. It was built in 1921 for O.G. Maxwell, a prominent local banker, he said.
According to the listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the two-story brick Craftsman home was one of the most impressive residences of its time in Siloam Springs. Maxwell lost the home in 1928 due to “financial misdealings,” and the house was taken over by Will Sweet, owner of the local coal and ice plant, who held the mortgage on the home.
“The Maxwell-Sweet House is significant architecturally in Siloam Springs as a local example of Craftsman design with subtle Prairie influences,” the register listing states.
The Maxwell-Sweet house is part of Carl’s Addition Historic District, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places. The district, which includes 28 homes built between 1895 and 1946, runs along both sides of South College, West Alpine and South Wright Streets is bounded by Sager Creek on the north and West Twin Springs Street on the South.
The block ends with the stairs, dated 1911, that lead down to the springs in City Park, Warden said.
“There’s just a lot of the history of the town wrapped up in that hill,” Rennard said.
Tickets for the event are $45 for one and $80 for two, and may be purchased at www.siloamspringsmuseum.com/ hometour. Those who would like to attend should R.S.V.P by June 16.