HISTORY OF WOODHAVEN
HISTORY
Woodhaven is situated in the northwest corner of I-30 and Loop 820E interchange, bounded by the Trinity River on the north and CBS Channel 11 on the West. It is just six miles east of downtown Fort Worth; 30 minutes from downtown Dallas; 20 minutes from D/FW Airport; a quick commute to Mid Cities, Arlington and Irving; minutes from Fort Worth’s Cultural District and Stockyards; a short drive to Trinity Railway Express; and minutes from area schools, amusements and shopping. Legend has it that many colorful characters from Fort Worth’s days as an outlaw haven used the Randol Mill Road environs as a staging ground.
In 1866, pioneer W.J. Boaz, a land trader in Fort Worth, began buying parcels of land in East Fort Worth. Boaz had arrived in Fort Worth in 1859 from Tennessee, established a land company, and became one of the City’s first five aldermen. He sent instructions back home for the rest of the family to sell the tobacco crop, put receipts into gold, and come to Texas. Boaz’ wife helped carry food to those rushing to complete the first railroad to Fort Worth. In 1886 he began buying land for as little as $7.50 an acre as he put together the 740-acre Boaz Ranch Estate. The landmark estate remained in the same family for 103 years as one of the county’s most historic rangelands.
In 1969 this tract was sold to a group of investors including former Governor John Connally, Fort Worth oil man Perry Bass and his son Sid Bass, former Connally aide and Dallas businessman Mike Myers, and J. Fred Landers of Nashville, a publisher of religious books. An announcement was made on April 14, 1969, to civic leaders and the press that construction would begin immediately on a “model community to be known as Woodhaven Country Club Estates.” Perry Bass stated, “We hope to create on this fine old landmark a development that will be in keeping with its rich heritage and our deep affection for Fort Worth.” They envisioned children playing on hilltops where pioneers once kept a wary watch for Indians, and golfers strolling the countryside where cattle roamed for more than a century. The investors were attracted to the variety of the area’s terrain, with spectacular hilltop views as much as 200 feet above the picturesque valleys below, and its abundance of trees. Their plans for the new community included single-family homes, high-rise and garden apartments, office buildings, retail shopping centers, and a country club. The Fort Worth firm of Carter & Burgess was commissioned to plan and execute the project. Janet Rodman, one of the first female developers in Texas, was hired as the project manager. Development of Woodhaven’s residential section began in the early 1970’s. Oakmont and Country Club Lanes were the first streets cut; and the first six houses were built on Oakmont Lane.
The centerpiece of Woodhaven is the 149-acre Woodhaven Country Club, complete with a championship 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, swimming pool and clubhouse, which opened on July 3, 1973. Leon Howard designed the 6,543-yard, par 71 golf course with assistance from pro golfer Terry Dill. Its clubhouse was designed to retain some of the warm, rustic flavor of the century-old Boaz Ranch Estate from which it grew. An additional two-story clubhouse was later added to service the eight tennis courts. The golf course underwent extensive renovations in 2003, including grass replacement on the greens and fairways, upgrading the sand traps and adding new landscaping. Today the Woodhaven Country Club is operated Intrawest Golf, which has remodeled and upgraded the Clubhouse interior to create a Texas lodge atmosphere.
Surrounding the golf course are executive homes, golf villas, single family residences, apartments, townhomes and condominiums. The rolling hills and lush wooded terrain of Woodhaven offer a quiet small town feel in the midst of the bustling D/FW Metroplex. Being nestled in the northwest corner of I-30 and Loop 820 East, Woodhaven offers optimum convenience for work, play, education and recreation in Fort Worth, Dallas and the Mid-Cities. Through most of the 70’s, Woodhaven residents had to pay 50 cents on the old turnpike (now I-30) just to go downtown, but the road was paid for and the toll abolished. Construction on additional and redesigned I-30 ramps from Oakland Boulevard to Bridgewood Street was completed in 2003, greatly improving the ingress/egress traffic flow as well as enhancing the economic viability of the commercial corridors into the greater Woodhaven area.
Retail establishments surround the residential neighborhood, offering convenience to the community. While early Woodhaven residents had to travel to Lancaster Avenue or Oakland Boulevard to buy groceries, today two fine supermarkets are minutes away, as well as many other shopping and dining opportunities. The 1990’s saw a flurry of building activity come to the community, with the addition of new restaurants and retail stores as well as the Fort Worth East Regional Library.
SCHOOLS IN AND AROUND WOODHAVEN
Elementary School
Center For Creative Living Sch
Principal: Ms Dian McClain
(817)534-2189
2401 Oakland Bvd Ste 100
Fort Worth, TX 76103-3255
St Rita School
Principal: Charlene Hymel
(817)451-9383
712 Weiler Blvd
Fort Worth, TX 76112-6398
High School
Eastern Hills High School
Principal: Richard Dean Pritchett
(817)496-7600
5701 Shelton St
Fort Worth, TX 76112-3999
Nolan Catholic High School
Principal: Br Richard Thompson
(817)457-2920
4501 Bridge St
Fort Worth, TX 76103-1160
Unified School
Oakridge School
Principal: Ms Susan Mann
(817)451-4994
5900 W Pioneer Pky
Arlington, TX 76013-2899
Temple Christian School
Principal: Mr. Tim Hall
817-457-0770
6824 Randol Mill Road
Fort Worth, TX 76120
Montessori School
East Fort Worth Montessori Academy
501 Oakland Blvd.
Fort Worth, TX 76103
817-496-3003
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