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Lustron house

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For individual houses called "Lustron house", see Lustron House (disambiguation)
Lustron houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Albany, NY

Lustron houses are prefabricated porcelain-enameled steel houses developed in the post-World War II era United States in response to the shortage of houses for returning GIs. The low maintenance porcelain (vitreous enamel) finish was expected to attract modern families who might not have the time or interest in repairing and painting conventional wood and plaster houses.

Development

In January 1947, the newly formed Lustron Corporation announced that it had received a $12.5-million Reconstruction Finance Corporation loan to manufacture mass-produced prefabricated homes that featured enamel-coated steel panels.[1] Led by Chicago industrialist and inventor Carl Strandlund, who had worked with constructing prefabricated gas stations, Lustron offered a home that would "defy weather, wear, and time."[2]

Strandlund's Lustron Corporation, a division of the Chicago Vitreous Enamel Corporation, set out to construct 15,000 homes in 1947 and 30,000 in 1948.[3] From its plant in Columbus, Ohio (the former Curtiss-Wright factory), the corporation eventually constructed around 3,000 Lustron homes between 1948 and 1950.[4] The houses sold for between $8,500 and $9,500, according to a March 1949 article in the Columbus Dispatch—about 25 percent less than comparable conventional housing. By November 1949, however, a Lustron's average selling price had come up to $10,500.

Most of the known Lustron houses were constructed in 36 of the United States including Alaska. However, some were constructed in Venezuela, South America for families of oil industry employees. [5]

Billed as a way to maximize pleasure and minimize work, Lustron advertising contended that the Lustron home would create a "new and richer experience for the entire family," where "Mother . . . has far more hours," the "youngsters . . . have fewer worries," and there would be "far more leisure for Dad."[6]

Models

Westchester Deluxe 2-bedroom house.

Arguably the most popular of the Lustron homes was the two bedroom, 1,085 square feet (100.8 m2) "Westchester Deluxe" model. In total, there were three "lines" of Lustrons: the Westchester, Newport, and Meadowbrook. With the exception of the Esquire (which had been the prototype’s name) each Lustron type was available as either a two- or three-bedroom model.[7]

Model comparison

[8] Westchester Standard Westchester Deluxe Newport Meadowbrook
# of Bedrooms 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3
Square footage 1,085 square feet (100.8 m2) 1,209 square feet (112.3 m2) 1,085 square feet (100.8 m2) 1,209 square feet (112.3 m2) 775 square feet (72.0 m2) 1,023 square feet (95.0 m2) 713 square feet (66.2 m2) 961 square feet (89.3 m2)
Separate Living/Dining Rooms Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No
Heat System Radiant Convection Radiant Convection Radiant Panel Radiant Panel Radiant Convection Radiant Convection Radiant Convection Radiant Convection
China Pass-through
Kitchen/Dining Room 		No No Yes Yes No No No No
Living Room Bay Window No No Yes Yes No No No No
Master Bedroom Built-in Vanity No No Yes Yes No No No No
Bathroom Built-in Vanity No No Yes Yes No No No No
Flooring Type Builder's option Builder's option Asphalt tile Asphalt tile Builder's option Builder's option Builder's option Builder's option

Design features

The decorative "zig-zag" accent is unique to Lustron homes.

Prefabricated housing had existed before the Lustron home came on the market. However, it was Lustron's promises of assembly-line efficiency and modular construction that set it apart from its competitors. The homes were designed by Morris Beckman of Chicago firm Beckman and Blass, and may have been loosely based on designs for the Cemesto houses in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.[9] With porcelain-enameled steel panels inside and out, as well as steel framing, the homes stood out next to more traditional dwellings made of wood and plaster.

Lustron homes were usually built on concrete slab foundations with no basement. However, about 40 Lustron homes have been reported to have basements.[10] Their sturdy steel frame was constructed on-site by a team of local workers who assembled the house piece-by-piece from a special Lustron Corporation delivery truck. The assembly team, who worked for the local Lustron builder-dealer followed a special manual from Lustron, and were supposed to complete a house in 360 man-hours.[11]

Color options

The Ohio Historic Preservation Office recognizes eight exterior colors: "Surf Blue," "Blue-green," "Dove Gray," "Maize Yellow," "Desert Tan," Green, Pink, and White. Window surrounds were primarily ivory-colored.[12]

Interiors

The interiors were designed with an eye toward the modern age, space-saving, and ease of cleaning. All Lustrons had metal-paneled interior walls that were most often gray. To maximize space, all interior rooms and closets featured pocket doors. All models featured metal cabinetry, a service and storage area, and metal ceiling tiles. In the Westchester Deluxe models, the living room and master bedrooms featured built-in wall units. As an added option, customers were presented with the unique Thor-brand combination clothes- and dish-washer, which incorporated the kitchen sink.

Window types

A Lustron tripartite window.

There were two major window types in Lustron homes: “tripartite” and casement. The tripartite consisted of a central light flanked by two four-light casement windows. Three-light and/or square aluminum casements with interior screens were standard on all Lustrons. Add-on storm windows were available for residents in colder climates.

Westchester Deluxe two- and three-bedroom models were unique in that they boasted a tripartite bay window in the living room area: no other Lustron line included this feature.[13] In Westchester Deluxe two-bedroom models, additional tripartite windows were located in the dining area and bedrooms. For Westchester Deluxe three-bedroom models, tripartite windows were found in the dining area and two of the bedrooms, as well as the living room bay. Though the Westchester Standard line had no bay windows, it had tripartite windows in the same rooms as the Westchester Deluxe two-bedroom model.

Newport two- and three-bedroom models, which had no bay windows, offered tripartite windows in the dining/living room area. A model of the Meadowbrook home shows that the design would have provided two tripartite windows, both in the dining/living room area, similar to those in the Newport line.[14]

Roof, flooring, and other details

The roof likewise consisted of enameled-steel tiles, which were installed shingle-style. The front and rear doors featured a single light of translucent, rippled glass. As seen in the chart above, floors in the Westchester Deluxe models were asphalt tile, but in other models (Westchester Standard, Newport, and Meadowbrook), floors were installed as a “builder’s option.”[15]

Temperature control

In most models, the homes were heated with an oil burning furnace that directed hot air into an enclosed space above the metal ceilings. The walls contained a one inch blanket of fiberglass wool insulation.

Identifying marks

Perhaps the most notable Lustron feature is the zig-zag downspout accent on the buildings’ front and rear corners. In the two-bedroom Westchester models, the downspout pillar doubles as a support for the open porch, yet—for various reasons—the downspout accent was removed by many owners.

Additions

A Lustron house with a two-car Lustron garage.

Lustron offered two garage models, the "G-1" and "G-2," which were available in the same colors as the houses. The garage was most often constructed with wood framing[16], Lustron panel siding, and Lustron steel roof tiles. Lustron also provided carports and awnings...

Demise of the Lustron Corporation

The Lustron Corporation declared bankruptcy in 1950, despite being an extremely well-funded, well-publicized, government-supported enterprise manufacturing a desperately needed product. Production delays, the lack of a viable distribution strategy, and the escalating prices for the finished product all contributed to the failure. Additionally, local zoning codes also played a part: in Columbus, for example, an ordinance prohibited homes with steel chimneys.[17] Some accounts suggest an organized effort from the existing housing industry to stop Strandlund, comparing him to Preston Tucker.[18]

Lustrons on a Marine base?

The largest assembly of Lustrons in one geographic location was in Quantico, Virginia, where 60 were installed at the U.S. Marine Corps military base. All Westchester Deluxe models, they came in "Surf Blue," "Maize Yellow," and pink, the last of which was decidedly unpopular among some military families. In January 2006, it was announced that the homes, which had grown "too small for most families," would be eliminated from base housing and would be given away.[19] Fifty-eight of Quantico's Lustrons were offered for free (with an application and $8,000 deposit) in 2006[20], yet only one individual came forward and acquired a home, which was disassembled and moved to storage in Delaware.[21] Twenty-three of Quantico's Lustrons were demolished in 2006, and an additional thirty-four homes were razed in 2007.[22]The two remaining homes at the base are on the National Register of Historic Places, and are currently used as maintenance buildings.[23]

Preservation

About 2,000 Lustron homes are still in existence in 36 states.[24] Many have been modified with additions, remodeled kitchens, vinyl windows, composite roofs, new heating systems, sheet rock interior walls, painted exteriors, and siding. A small group of Lustron owners are preserving the original condition of their homes and are urging others to do the same, though very few entirely original Lustron homes exist. Over time, Lustron owners often removed the "Thor" brand combination washing machine/dish washer, and in cold regions, the ceiling's radiant heat systems were often replaced.

In 2006, a Lustron home from Arlington, Virginia, was painstakingly disassembled, labeled and put into storage. It may someday be reconstructed on a new site where it can be preserved.

Threats

Demolition continues to threaten Lustrons where rising property values attract buyers who desire larger homes of modern construction. Other major threats to Lustron homes' integrity include: severe weather (tornadoes, hurricanes), vehicular or other impact, and lack of local zoning/preservation/aesthetic legislation.

Conclusion

The promise of a home that never needs painting or maintenance has been somewhat validated after over 55 years of service. The enamel steel roof "shingles" are still keeping many Lustron residents in the dry after five decades of no maintenance.[citation needed] Several homes feature exterior wall panels that never needed painting are intact and rust-free. Historically, enamel metal objects have been known to survive over one hundred years.[citation needed]

  • Interior view, Lustron G-2 garage.
    Interior view, Lustron G-2 garage.

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ Reiss, Robert. "When Lustron Lost its Luster," The Columbus Dispatch. 23 July 1978.
  2. ^ Lustron Corporation. "Compact, Beautiful Lustron Homes: Newport Two-Bedroom and Three-Bedroom Sizes." Company brochure.
  3. ^ Reiss, Robert. "When Lustron Lost its Luster," The Columbus Dispatch. 23 July 1978.
  4. ^ The plant would later be returned to aircraft production by North American Aviation as Air Force Plant 85.
  5. ^ Lustron Homes: The History of a Postwar Prefabricated Housing Experiment by Tom Fetters
  6. ^ Lustron Corporation. "Compact, Beautiful Lustron Homes: Newport Two-Bedroom and Three-Bedroom Sizes." Company brochure.
  7. ^ Boyd, Michelle Anne. “Preserving the Lustron House: Authenticity and Industrial Production.” Master’s Thesis, Columbia University, 2001.
  8. ^ This table has been adapted from Boyd, Michelle Anne. “Preserving the Lustron House: Authenticity and Industrial Production.” Master’s Thesis, Columbia University, 2001.
  9. ^ Prudon, Theodore H. M. Preservation of Modern Architecture. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
  10. ^ [http://www.lustronregistry.org/HTML/statistics.htm LustronRegistry.org, Accessed July 2009.
  11. ^ Mitchell, Robert J. "Whatever Happened to Lustron Homes?" APT Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 2, 1991: 44–53.
  12. ^ Mitchell, Robert J. "Whatever Happened to Lustron Homes?" APT Bulletin, Vol. 23, No. 2, 1991: 44–53.
  13. ^ This "bay" window measured 12 inches (300 mm) by 8 feet (2.4 m).
  14. ^ http://www.lustronpreservation.org/meet-the-lustrons/what-model-is-it/meadowbrook
  15. ^ Boyd, Michelle Anne. “Preserving the Lustron House: Authenticity and Industrial Production.” Master’s Thesis, Columbia University, 2001.
  16. ^ Some garages were of steel frame construction.
  17. ^ Reiss, Robert. "When Lustron Lost its Luster," The Columbus Dispatch. 23 July 1978.
  18. ^ This is ironic, because Strandlund's first choice for the Lustron factory building (in Illinois) was actually granted to Tucker to build his automobiles.
  19. ^ Dana Hedgpeth, Housing History for the Taking at Quantico, The Washington Post, Monday, January 23, 2006, Page D03
  20. ^ Hedgpeth, Dana. "Housing History for the Taking at Quantico," The Washington Post. 23 Jan. 2006: D03.
  21. ^ Miroff, Nick. "A House of Dreams but Few Takers. Despite Inspiring Many, Quantico's Lustrons Hard to Unload," The Washington Post. 25 Mar. 2007: T1
  22. ^ Miroff, Nick. "Lights Out for Lustrons of Quantico: 34 Historic Houses Have no Takers," The Washington Post. 30 Sept. 2007: T3.
  23. ^ Miroff, Nick. "Even for Free, Metal Houses Lack Magnetism; Quantico's 11-Ton Icons Still Have Few Takers," The Washington Post. 16 July 2006: T1.
  24. ^ LustronRegistry.org, accessed March 15, 2009
  • LustronPreservation.Org This comprehensive Lustron website features history, chat room, library, photos, Lustron Locator, preservation guidelines, construction drawings, and Lustron specifications. Site was initiated by National Trust for Historic Preservation.
  • Michael O'Neal's Lustron Website presents vintage Lustron homeowner pamphlets, magazine articles, marketing materials, advertisements, historical accounts, photographs. Includes Lustron greeting cards, 3-D Lustron photos, news items and commentary by Lustron owner Michael O'Neal of Des Moines, Iowa.
  • LustronConnection.Org Pictures and stories of Lustron homes from across America. The growing Lustron photo collection spans 28 states and includes interior photos of unique Lustron homes. The site includes Lustron News, Steel Homes Today, and stories by Lustron dwellers. Produced by a Lustron owner in upstate New York.
  • LustronRegistry.Org A database of over 1900 Lustron homes. Information is still missing for many homes. Lustron homeowners and spotters can submit their Lustron home information and corrections to the database.
  • Lustron: The House That Lots Of Jack Built A 1949 magazine article on the origins, politics and financing of Lustron home production. Originally published in Collier's on November 5, 1949.
  • The Illustrious Lustron: A Guide for the Disassembly and Preservation of America’s Modern Metal Marvel can be downloaded at this Lustron web page produced by Arlington County, VA. This booklet includes a colorful, photo-rich history.
  • Lustron.Org is a limited content website for the 2003 Emmy-winning film "Lustron, The house America's Been Waiting For."
  • The Prices Make These Model Homes A Steel. A 2006 news article about the Quantico marine base Lustrons being given away.
  • Lustron Living, From Beginning to End
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