Williams’ is one of roughly 1,500 that survive. Flatbed trucks transported the Lustron panels to 36 states, where they were assembled on concrete slabs on-site by a team of local workers who assembled the house piece-by … Beginning in the late 1940s, these homes were pre-fabricated kits that would be built on a foundation provided by a distributor or homeowner. Many of the heating systems had to be modified. Only one person took advantage of the offer, disassembled a home, and moved it to Delaware. There are a few other Lustron homes sprinkled throughout the metropolitan area of St. Louis, but none as concentrated as the stretch of Litzsinger Road, the area I pass through almost daily. “For every … During a recent, seemingly straightforward repair job on the gutters, Zeiger had to first remove the roof tiles. Lustron homes were a bizarre development – one built with large steel tiles, coated with enameled porcelain in dove gray, desert tan, surf blue, maize yellow, and some Lustron historians and hobbyists claim, rare shades of canary pink or green. "The … But underneath the siding and some other modern improvements is a Lustron home, one of about 3,000 prefabricated enameled-steel houses that were built nationwide between 1948 and 1950. These were the perfect homes if you didn’t like cleaning. Only about 2,680 of the homes were built before the Lustron Corp. went bankrupt in 1950. Lustron figured it would take about 300-man hours to erect one of these homes, he said, standing in the living room of his own picture-perfect 1950-built Lustron. That’s because all those Lustron components were engineered to piece together in one specific sequence, and they only come apart the same way. The prefabricated porcelain-enameled steel houses were made like cars on conveyor belts in a former aircraft plant in Columbus, Ohio. Lustron Homes were factory-built houses made of porcelean enamel and steel. In a Lustron home you will find a built-in buffet, china pass through and built in bookcases and dressers. Built from 1948-50, only about 3000 were made, with 3 different models available. Thanks to a porcelain finish, the walls would never need a single coat of paint. and the floors were unbearably cold. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT. Zillafag/Flickr . “The House America Has Been Waiting For,” an advertising slogan for a new kind of home. The prefabricated, ready-to-assemble houses were shipped in 3,000 pieces on a specially designed truck. The Dove Gray West Chester Deluxe Lustron home on exhibit at the Ohio History Connection is open to visitors. Saving space and easy upkeep were the primary goals, as well as fast … This 1,085 square foot, the two-bedroom home was one of nearly 2,500 built by the Lustron Corporation. The homes … In practical terms, this design means that for every house part that needs repairing, many more must be dismantled to reach it. Though not very well known, many people believe Lustron homes now have historical value. The demonstration home at 2255 S. College St. was the first of five that eventually were built in Springfield and Southern View; another was constructed in Pleasant Plains. That was also the case after WWII. I have loved Luston’s for decades, and was thrilled to finally be IN one at the Lustron House Museum in Great Bend, Kansas. But after World War II, as demand for building materials skyrocketed, Lustron promised a quick and virtually maintenance-free home: Instead of wood and plaster, theirs would be built from steel. Windows, roof, doors, closets, cabinets – literally everything was built to last. The company built more than 2,600 homes that were shipped across the country and around the hemisphere. This model, like all of the other models, had a single story design. "And in some cities, the cost of the homes went up when local electrical and … All of these colors were in keeping with post-war fashion. Mar 16, 2013 - Explore Meghan Meyer's board "Lustron Home ", followed by 109 people on Pinterest. Several models offered comfortable floor plans with a refreshing open design. The houses were all steel: the roofing shingles, exterior wall cladding, interior walls and ceilings, and even the numerous built-in cabinets. The home at 1022 Keystone is a rather modest dwelling, with little now to distinguish it from its neighbors. The early Lustron Homes were equipped with ceiling mounted oil or gas heating units, located in the central utility, that suppled hot air to a six inch chamber above the ceiling, thus providing radiant panel heating throughout the house. The Lustron was devised in response to a shortage of housing immediately after World War II. The remaining homes are generally cherished by their owners, and many consider it an honor to be … Fifty-seven Quantico Lustrons were … Less than 3,000 Lustron homes were manufactured between 1948-1950, with 15 of those houses still located in Brentwood, Missouri and 21 in Webster Groves, Missouri, two Saint Louis County suburbs. The homes were remodeled in the 1980s, but by 2006, it was decided the homes were too small for most families, and they were slated to be eliminated from base housing. Meanwhile, nearly three million married veterans were … Less than 2,700 Lustrons were built, of which 2,000, in various states of repair, are thought to still exist. Hundreds of thousands of returning service personnel were marrying, starting families and seeking homes. In 2018, many of the Lustron homes (only 2,500 were built) still have original siding and roofs and feature interior built-in cabinets. Often, wed have them built in a little over 200-man hours. Most of the homes were built on a concrete slab. Literally, side by side, you could read newspaper columns across the country about Marines and … An innovative solution by Chicago industrialist Carl Strandlund, the Lustron house is made … The walls featured one and one-half inches of fiberglass insulation, while the ceiling featured three to six inches of blown or poured fiberglass or mineral wool … In 1948, the Westchester came into production. Lustron Homes Were “A New Standard Of Living” People worry about the affordability of their homes and crave something they can safely manage. And they cost about $8,500 to $10,500 in 1949 - 1950. This was a larger version of the Esquire and included a recessed porch located in the entryway. Although the homes were built to last for decades, the company didn't. Pocket doors and a furnace mounted on the ceiling are standard. The exterior and interior walls are made of porcelain-clad steel, which has helped them stay preserved over time, says Steve Stimmel, a volunteer at the Iowa Architectural Foundation. Of the 10 Lustron homes built in Fargo, two have been razed and eight remain. In two years there were 2,498 homes produced by Lustron, and 159 of those were built in Indiana. Residential construction had still not recovered from its sharp decline during the Great Depression; incredible as it may seem today, the bulk of the country’s housing stock dated to the 19th century, and many houses lacked electricity and plumbing. Whoee! I have disassembled, reassembled and updated Lustron homes since 2003, beginning with the Whitehall Historical Society’s acquisition of a former London home that is now our headquarters near Port Columbus. According to Tom Fetters book, The Lustron Home, the manufacture of one Lustron required 12 tons of steel and one ton of enamel. Great … This Lustron in Toledo,Ohio is a well-preserved example of these unique homes. All were built in 1950. A World War II bride once said living in a Lustron was like “living in a lunchbox.” Made entirely of steel (but clad with pastel porcelain tiles), these little houses (775 to 1085 square feet) were built as starter houses for GIs returning from the war. After we did the first two or three, I think we could have put them up blindfolded. Fifty-eight Lustrons were offered “for free” – with an application and $8,000 deposit. The Esquire was the prototype, and it was first erected in 1946. 25% cheaper than comparable houses of a more conventional build. History tells us … The exterior color … And at roughly $9,000 ($93,000 in today’s dollars), they were significantly cheaper than the competition. They were literally building the American dream. Lustron homes were then loaded onto a truck, ... with only about 2,500 Lustron homes built, leading to the demise of the company in 1950. And they needed […] My mother, who turns 89 this year had lived alone in a four-bedroom two-story house in Mission, South Dakota. I assisted in assembling one in the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, and, when that house was later donated to the Ohio History Connection, provided guidance, parts and labor in … There were three different models of Lustron houses; the Westchester, Newport, and Meadowbrook model. Airbnb. The Lustron Preservation says 2,680 homes were sold for about $10,000 each and after 60 years about 1,500 homes still exist. “Are you enjoying your decision-free lifestyle as much as I am, dear?” Invented by Carl Strandlund, the … A total of 2,498 Lustron Homes were manufactured over the next two years. "They put a lot of money into things like building the world's largest hydraulic press to stamp out metal bathtubs, instead of just buying the tubs," says Tom Fetters, author of Lustron Home: The History of a Postwar Prefabricated Housing Experiment. The homes were advertised as being three times stronger than traditional stick built homes and as being rodent proof, fire proof, lightening proof, and rustproof. Some were built on military bases. Lustron homes were manufactured by a company in Chicago from 1948-1950 before going bankrupt. Five of them sit in a row on Oneida Street, and the one for sale is at 23420 Oneida, listed by ReMax agent Kelly O’Meara of … Lustron houses were resistant to fire, decay, rust, mold, and pests. Pay attention to the details of this historic treasure. There were two versions of the Westchester; a … Lustron’s founder, Carl Strandsund, had visions of prefabricated steel homes solving the United States’ post-World War II housing shortage, and he was persuasive enough that the federal government loaned the company … A handful of the homes were built over basements, but this … Many veterans were returning from abroad and needed housing. In the late 1940s, soldiers returning from World War II dreamed of the idyllic life: a happy family, a lovely suburban home. Sources: Nabors, Jean. They were assembled on-site by the company's own teams, armed with a special Lustron manual, each house was supposed to be completed by them in 360 man-hours. Thornton, Rosemary. (Photo courtesy of Ohio History Connection) The headlines in late 1950 looked grim for our boys on the front lines in the Korean War — and for the Ohio-based Lustron Corporation. New neighborhoods opened up and “tract house” designs flourished for bungalows and ranch-style houses … They were easy to assemble. Prefabricated and mass-produced, the Lustron Home was to be the answer to America’s housing shortage in the late 1940s. You'll find some fascinating pieces of the … The windows were aluminum. Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History Fall 1997: 30-37. menu ... these prefabricated model homes featured several built-in storage units, an efficient heating system and even a dishwasher-washing machine combo. See more ideas about prefab homes, prefab, vintage house. Lustron homes appeared after the second World War. Designed to be easy to maintain, these prefabricated model homes featured several built-in storage units, an efficient heating system and even a dishwasher-washing machine combo. That’s right, rats would never know the luxury of living in a post-war housing unit. All the steel had an enameled finish, and no homes ever built were so easy to clean. A Lunstron home is made entirely of metal: the roof, the walls, the floors and even built-in wall units in the living rooms and bedrooms. ""A New Standard for Living" The Lustron Home." The four Lustron homes in Homewood are located at 1401 Linden Road, 18329 Perth Avenue, 18420 Dundee Avenue, and 2158 Ridge Road. And when I say open, I mean you can step inside, sit on the couch, look in the closets and browse the cabinets. But the post-war period instead brought a housing crisis. Originally, Lustron homes were available in a single model called the Esquire. There's a Historic Midcentury Lustron Home Airbnb in West Alexandria you can rent for the night and pretend you're living in the 1950s. My mom moved to one about nine months ago. In response, Lustron promised a dream house —signed, sealed, delivered. Lustron homes are unique in appearance and in how they are built. Made of sheets of porcelain-coated steel with built in steel walls and fixtures, the Lustron has often been described as a “time machine.” There were only about 2,498 Lustron Homes manufactured, and only about 2,000 remain throughout the United States. Lustrons were designed to be built on a slab, with the exterior steel walls carrying the weight of the house. Between 1948 and 1950, 2,498 metal homes were built. Sixteen were built in Minnesota with 11 of them in Minneapolis. 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