A 1911 mansion in San Antonio’s Beacon Hill neighborhood hit the market on August 28, 2026 for $875,000, and it comes with two features most house hunters have never encountered before: a working speaking-tube intercom system built for an era before electricity, and a full ballroom tucked into the attic with its own built-in stage. According to San Antonio Current, the property at 932 W. Woodlawn Avenue has only been formally listed once before in its entire 115-year history.
The house is listed by agent Alex Cortez of Exquisite Properties. The Redfin listing confirms four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and roughly 4,626 square feet on a third of an acre. The listing is also cataloged through HAR.com.
A House Built for a Household With Staff
The speaking-tube system let upstairs family members communicate directly with kitchen staff below without shouting down a stairwell. It’s a physical artifact of a household staffing model that essentially no longer exists in American residential life. The attic ballroom occupies the full third story and retains a built-in stage along with light fixtures original to the early 1900s.
The Rest of the House Isn’t an Afterthought
The property has a grand columned facade, arched entryways, original wainscoting, and chandeliers throughout. It also has something genuinely uncommon for Texas residential construction: a basement, complete with an original water well, according to San Antonio Current. Each of the four bedrooms opens onto its own private balcony, and a separate casita on the grounds offers a studio, guest house, or potential rental unit. The home carries a historic landmark designation from the City of San Antonio…