Wilshire Historic District

Wilshire Wood and Wilshire Park form a neighborhood of 110 single-family houses in northeast Austin, laid out between 1941 and 1947 on land between Boggy Creek and Patterson Park. Streets curve with the terrain, lots are large and irregular, and low, sprawling ranch houses sit far back in open, tree-shaded lawns. Many are faced with split-faced Cordova limestone veneer, wood siding, or brick, with low-pitched roofs, metal casement windows and attached garages or carports. A few later houses use flat roofs and large glass walls. The developers, W.L. Bradfield and G.H. Brush, imposed deed restrictions requiring architect-designed houses, minimum size and cost, and deep setbacks. Most building occurred from 1945 to 1950 during the postwar housing boom, as car ownership and improvements to East Avenue, now Interstate 35, opened suburban living. The district is recognized for community planning and for its consistent ranch architecture. Of its 110 resources, 94 contribute to its historic character and 16 do not, mostly because of additions or incompatible replacement materials.