History of River Oaks

River Oaks is, without question, Houston's best known residential neighborhood.  This is in no small part due to the foresight, persistence (and cunning) of brothers Will Hogg (1875-1930) and Mike Hogg (1885-1941), and Hugh Potter (1888-1968), the founders and executive officer, respectively, of the River Oaks Corporation.  Imagination, intelligence, and a strong commitment to creating the optimal residential environment guided the development and maintenance of River Oaks.

The nucleus of this district predates the Hoggs' and Potter's involvement.  The section called River Oaks Country Club Estates had been plated (but not developed) south of the newly established River Oaks Country Club when the Hogg brothers bought out the original developers and established Country Club Estates, Inc. (later the River Oaks Corporation) in 1924.  Mike Hogg's friend, Hugh Potter, was installed as president of the corporation.  Under his expert direction, River Oaks began in earnest.  Not only was the existing section developed but the corporation busily acquired land on all sides of Country Club Estates.  Between 1926 and 1947, an additional nineteen platted subdivisions joined Country Club Estates on the 1,100 acres which comprises River Oaks.  A study of noteworthy American suburban communities, especially Roland Park in Baltimore and the Country Club District in Kansas City, was responsible for such notions as the institution of architectural controls, the levying of a private tax to support a maintenance and services fund, and the creation of a property owners' association to enforce deed restrictions.  Will Hogg was especially determined that River Oaks serve Houston as a model of enlightened community planning standards.

To demonstrate the superiority of planned development (and to sell property in what was Houston's largest subdivision), it was necessary to include housing available across a range of economic levels.  Hence, while parts of River Oaks have always been occupied by the well-to-do, other sections (at least until the 1960's) were within the means of middle income families.  Corresponding to this economic range were varieties of planning evident in River Oaks.  All houses are single family, detached units, but their sites run from estates to greenway courts to country retreats.  On the periphery of River Oaks the corporation developed two shopping centers, a garden apartment complex and made space available for two schools and a church.

The founders' vision has served the neighborhood well even as Houston entered the twenty-first century.  River Oaks continues to thrive on the founding principles outlined so long ago.

(Excerpted from "River Oaks-Three Self-Guided Tours of its Architecture" Prepared by the Anchorage Foundation of Texas for the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects-Copyright 1984)