Downtown Austin in Travis County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Swedish Consulate and Swante Palm Library

Photographed by Keith Peterson, September 30, 2007

1. Swedish Consulate and Swante Palm Library Marker

Inscription.

Swante Palm (1815-1899), Vice Consul for Sweden and Norway from 1866 until his death, built a small house on Ash Street (now 9th Street) in the 1850s. It was a repository for Palm’s extensive book collection and served as the Swedish Consulate, where Palm gave assistance to many Swedish immigrants. To accommodate his ever-growing library, Palm enlarged the house in 1879. He donated his 10,000-volume collection to the University of Texas Library in 1897, increasing the school’s holdings by more than sixty percent. Palm’s house was razed in 1958.

Erected 1991 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 14680.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.

Location. 30° 16.235′ N, 97° 44.524′ W. Marker is in Austin, Texas, in Travis County. It is in Downtown Austin. It is at the intersection of Congress Avenue and East 9th Street, on the right when traveling south on Congress Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 816 Congress Avenue, Austin TX 78701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Texas.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Steiner Building (within shouting distance of this marker); M.M. Long’s Livery Stable and Opera House

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(within shouting distance of this marker); Leland D. Anderson, 26 (within shouting distance of this marker); First Capitol in Austin (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Openheimer-Montgomery Building (about 300 feet away); Texas and the Civil War State Military Board (about 300 feet away); Townsend-Thompson Building (about 300 feet away); Johns-Hamilton Building (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Austin.

Swedish Consulate and Swante Palm Library Marker Area image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Larry D. Moore, December 22, 2020

2. Swedish Consulate and Swante Palm Library Marker Area

Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 20, 2009, by Keith Peterson of Cedar Park, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,280 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 20, 2009, by Keith Peterson of Cedar Park, Texas. 2. submitted on December 22, 2020, by Larry D. Moore of Del Valle, Texas. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Vintage photo of the house prior to its razing in 1958. • Can you help?