Completed in 1926 for Edward Sweeney and Annabell Dilworth Sweeney, this residence interprets the English Tudor or Cotswold Cottage idiom: steep rooflines, masonry massing, and a storybook garden approach—framed by two grand live oaks. Contemporary accounts and later surveys consistently note its cottage styling and 1926 completion date, as well as the circular drive and carefully groomed grounds. A third live oak that once balanced the composition was lost in a 1994 storm.
Owners and careers
Sweeney, born August 8, 1897, attended Rice Institute and served as a World War I pilot before arriving around 1919 to operate the local cotton mill. He bought Tom Fussell’s wholesale grocery business in 1921, then in 1929 secured the Red & White franchise for a multi-county territory and shifted operations to San Antonio, later rebranding many stores as Model Market. These moves are documented in contemporaneous newspaper coverage and local histories.