English Village was a Major Addition to Neighborhood Starting in 1927
246 North Drive was part of the Davidson & English “English Village”
Have you ever wondered about the history of the beautiful Tudor Revival homes along North Drive? These are among the most charming houses in our neighborhood, and their sturdy rock and brick construction is still admired by all.
The builders, Davidson & English, first advertised homes for sale in a new addition, English Village, in September 1927. They had been building homes in Waco and Dallas for the prior nine years but had only begun building homes in San Antonio in March, 1927. They quickly became one of the most prominent builders of “high quality, modest homes” in the city and had expanded their business to include Austin by the following year.
The houses in English Village were first listed with three price points: $7500, $8500, and $9500, and were described as featuring steep roofs, beautiful stone chimneys, casement windows, and arched brickwork. Mr. English was very proud to state that their construction methods were “double strength…throughout” and had foundations capable of carrying twice the actual weight of the homes. “Today’s lucky owners can vouch that these are very sturdy and beautiful homes.“
This addition was planned to include 32 rock and brick homes, all of different designs and with varied floor plans. Of interest, English Village once featured prominent rock entrances to the neighborhood which have not survived.
On July 18, 1928, the developers of English Village used free watermelons as a way to entice visitors to this unique new development. In their ads, Davidson & English invited visitors to observe their quality construction methods and actively advertised the high quality of all of the houses. They called these houses “100 Point Homes,” a reference to one-hundred high quality construction methods which made their homes stand out from other builders’. Their ads used the descriptive language of the time to convince readers of this high quality.
Home ownership, for most people, is a matter of hard work and sacrifice for a period of ten years or longer — that should be rewarded with only the best that their money can buy. Every nail driven home, every bit of material, every texture, should bespeak beauty, long life, ruggedness, and complete satisfaction. Davidson and English “100 point” standard construction ensures just these features. To be sure, to be safe, to be confident that you are right, insist on “100 point” construction throughout.
The homes of English Village survive to this day, flanking North Drive between Vollum and Shearer. If you live in one of these architectural treasures, or simply admire their beauty as you drive by or visit, I hope that you enjoyed this story that is part of the origins of our neighborhood.
