Renovated Olsen House A Gem for Campus

(Abilene, Texas) It’s a grand two-story home perched on the edge of campus ready to return to the spotlight. Built by an HSU science professor for his family, the home is now available to the entire HSU community for special events and functions thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated folks.

The Olsen House was once home to HSU professor and Dean of Science Dr. Julius Olsen and his family. Built in 1929, the house on Vogel Street is an Abilene Historic Landmark and was inhabited by members of the Olsen family for much of the 20th century. Two of Dr. Olsen’s daughters, Ollie-Lena and Claudine, conveyed the home to the University in the 1990s.

HSU’s Board of Trustees approved the home’s renovation as part of a capital campaign and work began on the project under HSU President Craig Turner.  

Renovations in the early 2000s included adding central air and heat and replumbing much of the home.  The project also involved skimming and painting the plaster, refinishing the oak floors and stairs, fencing the yard, rebuilding a retaining wall, and pouring a new driveway, according to HSU facilities services director Tim McCarry. He said one of the largest projects was making the home handicapped accessible, which included creating a new handicapped-accessible bathroom and entrance.

The fact that Dr. Olsen and his father, a master carpenter, painstakingly designed and built the home nearly a century earlier was significant to the renovation crew.

 “Everyone just loved working on it because they knew Dr. Olsen had built it with his own hands,” McCarry said.

Mrs. Carol Hall was nearing the end of her first tenure as HSU’s First Lady when the Olsen Home first came into the possession of the university.  When Mrs. Hall returned to campus in 2009 for Dr. Lanny Hall’s second tenure as president, she appreciated the progress made at the Olsen House and saw the need for an organized effort to furnish the large home. She formed the Olsen House Historical Exhibition Committee in 2012 and served as its chair. 

“We felt like it needed to be used,” she said, of the home. “We needed a good place on campus for meetings and receptions.” 

With limited resources, Mrs. Hall and the committee began exploring non-traditional sources for furnishings. Over a period of several years, the home began to fill up with historic items that reflected the University’s long history.

“God has just smiled on this project,” said Mrs. Hall.   

A tour of the home reveals the many details attended to by the committee. Plaques throughout the home explain the significance of historic HSU figures and the stories behind the home’s furnishings.

The first floor consists of the dining room, a working kitchen, a bedroom, two bathrooms, and the parlor. 

The first room furnished was the dining room. The Ex-Cowgirls donated a dining room set given to them by the C.M. Caldwell family, which resulted in the room being called the “Caldwell Dining Room.” The dining room also contains a century-old chandelier donated to HSU by Jolene West Sollivan and a built-in hutch with memorabilia belonging to the Olsen family.

Off the dining room is the bedroom, now called the “Olsen Room.” The space is devoted to Olsen family history including family photos and Dr. Olsen’s diplomas.  

The working kitchen has been modernized for catering with large appliances donated by Aramark and small appliance donated by the HSU Round Table organization.

The spacious parlor has a baby grand piano donated by Deanna Thomas, HSU Round Table member, and her sister Peggy, in memory of their mother. In a hallway off the parlor hang copies of the home’s original blueprints.

Walking up the stairs, one has to pause to see Dr. Olsen’s telescope. Mrs. Hall had a glass case made to protect the notable piece. Next to the telescope sits a framed photo of the HSU Science Club that Dr. Olsen ran.

“Dr. Olsen built the foundation for our science and math programs,” she said. A Yale University graduate, the Chicago-born professor began working for Hardin-Simmons in 1902 and eventually served the school for four decades before his death in 1942. (Learn more about Dr. Olsen: https://www.hsutx.edu/Hall-of-Leaders/Julius-Olsen/.)   

On the second floor, there are several themed rooms, designed to showcase the University’s vibrant history.

“We’re making the historical aspect of Hardin-Simmons evident,” Mrs. Hall said. 

The Sandefer Room showcases personal items belonging to the Sandefer family. Dr. Jefferson Davis and Mrs. Lucile Sandefer served as HSU’s president and first lady for three decades. A Sandefer great grand-daughter heard about the Olsen House project and donated a family tapestry to use in the space. The Sandefer family later donated a pair of Lucile Sandefer’s boots and a hand-lettered family tree. The room also contains a round table to symbolize Mrs. Sandefer’s creation of HSU’s Round Table organization, a group that continues to this day.

The Cowgirl Room is furnished with a mix of items telling the organization’s long history. The upper trim of the room contains a lively montage of photos of former Cowgirls and a Cowgirl uniform is displayed on a life-sized mannequin. A large meeting table was donated by the HSU alumni center and Cowgirl Laura Thaxton donated the rug. The room also features a TV screen and a video about the Cowgirls organization.

The Chambliss Room is named for Mrs. Lorene Chambliss, who donated her estate to HSU. She attended HSU from 1938 to 1940. The room features many of her items including a dining room set, paintings, and bronze sculptures. A sofa and chair in the room were recycled from the student center before its redesign.  

Mrs. Hall said refurnishing the home has been a team effort.

“I appreciate everyone’s help and support in making it become a reality,” she said.

Britt Jones, director of HSU’s alumni relations and assistant VP for advancement, served on the committee with Mrs. Hall and helped to collect memorabilia for the home.

“The Olsen home is a lovely addition to the campus and reminds of us the significant role Dr. Julius Olsen played in building the reputation and reach of Hardin-Simmons University,” she said. “A great deal of thought and care went into designing and building the home.”

She said the home’s details make it unique.   

“Personally, I love the gracious woodwork, especially in the downstairs rooms, and the clever use of nooks and crannies throughout the home,“ she said.

Other Olsen House Historical Exhibition Committee members included Jeremy Maynard, special collections manager at the Richardson Library; Cheryl Purcell, assistant VP for development; and Alice Specht, former dean of libraries.

The home officially reopened to the HSU community during Homecoming 2015. It has since been the location for reunion receptions, musical recitals, retirement gatherings, honor society meetings, and other special programs and events. Certain groups use the house as their regular meeting space, including the Round Table and Ex-Cowgirl organizations. 

Mrs. Hall said the Olsen House helps to create more awareness in the community about Hardin-Simmons and its history. 

“It’s our 125^th year, it’s important to take stock. We don’t want to forget our past,” she said.