Beverly HillsCountry living in the cityThe Beverly Hills Neighborhood was originally dairy farmland that started as part of the McCoombs and McCracken Surveys in the mid 1800s. Part of this area was ceded to the European American Colonization Society La Reunion holdings. When this idealistic group failed to take into consideration the poor land quality and the extremely hot, dry summers coupled with insect invasions and the abrupt cold fronts of winter, so unlike the European conditions that they had known before, the project failed. New-and-improvedIn the early development, frame houses were the norm and a few from the 1920s remain in the neighborhood, although most of those remaining houses from the 1920s are now covered in Texas ironstone. In the 1930s and 40s Craftsman style bungalows with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath had from 1,000 to 1,200 square feet and were the most common on Westmoreland, Jester and Barnett. The Ravinia Terrace portion of Beverly Hills began to be built up with cottages after WW II ended and the housing shortage became acute. Every decade brought new construction and that continues until today. There are still a few vacant lots that are sought for the reasonable price and the close to town location. Because this area was developed over 90 years there is a mix of styles that includes, Craftsman, Cape Code, Spanish and Ranch or mid-century Modern.
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