Our History
Our History
From a forty-five-student Bible institute in Fort Worth to a college campus with deep roots in Terrell, Texas.
The Round House
Long before the college existed, the land it now occupies held the “Round House” — the first dwelling built in Terrell. Its octagonal shape was designed for protection, and it held the first glass windows in Kaufman County. It remains one of only twenty surviving round houses in the country.
Southern Bible Institute Is Founded
The school opened in the fall of 1948 with about forty-five students in Fort Worth, Texas, under the name Southern Bible Institute. George P. Bowser (1874–1950) stands as a key founding figure in that early work.
A Move to Terrell — and a New Name
In the summer of 1949, the Trustees purchased property in Terrell that had previously belonged to Texas Military College. That same ground had earlier served as a co-ed school (1896–1904), a Methodist school, and Colonel Perry’s military academy. With the move, the school took the name it carries today: Southwestern Christian College.
Rebuilding After Fire
In the pre-dawn hours of January 27, 2008, a fire destroyed the college’s administration building and an adjacent structure. The campus rebuilt — and the renovation work continues today across the Administration Building, the Student Union, and several residence halls.