Homeowners Association
San Antonio, Texas
one of San Antonio's most admired and desired communities for over 50 years.
Community History
In 1967, Denton Development Company partnered with builders such as Prestige Homes, to begin construction of new upscale dwellings on a large tract of land north of Castle Hills. The scenic site was formerly territory of the Apache and Tonkaawa tribes until the 1800's. In the decades that followed, its rolling hills adorned with grand oaks had been used as family dairy and ranch land.
At the time, the surrounding area was largely undeveloped and few roadways leading the proposed subdivision were paved. Nearby retail and restaurants were sparse and only a small convenience store stood at the corner of Wurzbach where it dead ended with Lockhill-Selma.
Whispering Oaks would be one of the first large-scale projects undertaken north of the I-410 Loop and would generate significant anticipation in part because it was one of the initial subdivisions in the state to bury unsightly utility lines for a cleaner street view. New homes were featured in the Parade of Homes tour and attracted upscale homebuyers looking for the opportunity to custom build on spacious, wooded lots.
The Jackson family home at 11111 Whisper Ridge was one of the first built. Image courtesy of family, Spring 1969.
Today, Whispering Oaks remains one of San Antonio’s most admired and desired neighborhoods because the beauty of its terrain and the charm of its homes have largely been preserved. The community is designated a Neighborhood Conservation District by the City and its homeowners association remains a vigilant advocate.
The subdivision is roughly divided into two parts by the Upper Olmos Creek drainage channel. Developers began construction on the eastside which would lead to a total of 415 properties. Another 337 more would eventually follow to the West, creating a current-day total of 752 residences. Construction lasted nearly a decade and care was taken to preserve as many trees as possible which explains winding streets and oddly shaped lots particularly prominent on the eastern side.
The first homes appeared along Whispering Wind and Whisper Hill, extending down to Whisper Valley that dead-ended near the new swimming pool. Denton constructed the pool in 1968 to attract home buyers and operated it for 15 years before selling it to a group of residents who then formed a non-profit corporation for the benefit of the community. The tennis courts added to both the East and West sides are now managed by the same organization, which is not affiliated in any way with the Whispering Oaks Homeowners Association (WOHA) which formed in 1974.
The next round of homes were constructed along Whisper Path, which received entrance signage near Lockhill-Selma similar to the one previously installed near Whispering Wind. All of the entrances were later upgraded to engraved monuments by WOHA during its construction of the community's perimeter wall. Development continued along Whisper View and Whisper Valley which featured mostly duplex homes. The latter street eventually connected to Wurzbach Parkway, which extended no farther East than Lockhill-Selma at that time.
A small convenience store called Mr. M's was located near the corner of Wurzbach and Lockhill-Selma where the gas station now sits. The adjacent shopping complex was developed after Whispering Oaks broke ground and some related proposals by Denton for additional commercial expansion were contested by nearby residents. As the economy faltered in the mid-1970's and demand of upscale housing softened, Denton proposed installing a two-story office complex along the southern side of Whisper Quill. The developer also proposed erecting an apartment complex along Lockhill-Selma between Whisper Quill and Whisper Path. Both projects would have encroached upon adjacent homeowners who threatened legal action. WOHA helped broker a compromise and both projects were eventually scuttled.
Development of the Western side began in 1975 where similar deviations from initial plans were considered. Denton had initially offered the land between Whisper Willow and Upper Olmos Creek to the Northside School District, but the plan fell through. Denton then built two additional tennis courts on a portion of the parcel before allocating most to additional residences. WOHA sought to purchase some of the parcel to create a park adjacent to these westside courts, however this proposal proved financially daunting for the newly founded community group and Denton eventually added an additional two courts alongside the creek.
Denton and his builders forged on with the addition of Whisper Sound and Whisper Fern. Construction continued on the Western side adding several more streets and hundreds of residences including gardens homes (dwellings with no setback from side property lines) and a few duplexes (dwellings with adjoining walls). The majority of new home construction in the subdivision was completed by 1978 and residents settled in to a high profile neighborhood which generally attracted upper income professionals with young families. Some of the original residents remain part of our community today.