how many lustron homes were built

“For every … "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. And they cost about $8,500 to $10,500 in 1949 - 1950. The houses were all steel: the roofing shingles, exterior wall cladding, interior walls and ceilings, and even the numerous built-in cabinets. This model, like all of the other models, had a single story design. And at roughly $9,000 ($93,000 in today’s dollars), they were significantly cheaper than the competition. 25% cheaper than comparable houses of a more conventional build. "And in some cities, the cost of the homes went up when local electrical and … (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. Zillafag/Flickr . Pocket doors and a furnace mounted on the ceiling are standard. 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. In practical terms, this design means that for every house part that needs repairing, many more must be dismantled to reach it. "The … The prefabricated porcelain-enameled steel houses were made like cars on conveyor belts in a former aircraft plant in Columbus, Ohio. The prefabricated, ready-to-assemble houses were shipped in 3,000 pieces on a specially designed truck. According to Tom Fetters book, The Lustron Home, the manufacture of one Lustron required 12 tons of steel and one ton of enamel. Sixteen were built in Minnesota with 11 of them in Minneapolis. In 1948, the Westchester came into production. The home at 1022 Keystone is a rather modest dwelling, with little now to distinguish it from its neighbors. Between 1948 and 1950, 2,498 metal homes were built. An innovative solution by Chicago industrialist Carl Strandlund, the Lustron house is made … Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History Fall 1997: 30-37. That’s because all those Lustron components were engineered to piece together in one specific sequence, and they only come apart the same way. Many veterans were returning from abroad and needed housing. History tells us … Of the 10 Lustron homes built in Fargo, two have been razed and eight remain. Lustron homes were manufactured by a company in Chicago from 1948-1950 before going bankrupt. ""A New Standard for Living" The Lustron Home." Often, wed have them built in a little over 200-man hours. Some were built on military bases. The four Lustron homes in Homewood are located at 1401 Linden Road, 18329 Perth Avenue, 18420 Dundee Avenue, and 2158 Ridge Road. and the floors were unbearably cold. 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. 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 … Windows, roof, doors, closets, cabinets – literally everything was built to last. Saving space and easy upkeep were the primary goals, as well as fast … This Lustron in Toledo,Ohio is a well-preserved example of these unique homes. The homes … 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. They were literally building the American dream. 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. Thanks to a porcelain finish, the walls would never need a single coat of paint. That was also the case after WWII. A handful of the homes were built over basements, but this … Only about 2,680 of the homes were built before the Lustron Corp. went bankrupt in 1950. 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. In response, Lustron promised a dream house —signed, sealed, delivered. 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. 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. 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 … Sources: Nabors, Jean. Many of the heating systems had to be modified. The remaining homes are generally cherished by their owners, and many consider it an honor to be … This 1,085 square foot, the two-bedroom home was one of nearly 2,500 built by the Lustron Corporation. The company built more than 2,600 homes that were shipped across the country and around the hemisphere. Lustron Homes Were “A New Standard Of Living” People worry about the affordability of their homes and crave something they can safely manage. Several models offered comfortable floor plans with a refreshing open design. Beginning in the late 1940s, these homes were pre-fabricated kits that would be built on a foundation provided by a distributor or homeowner. 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. In the late 1940s, soldiers returning from World War II dreamed of the idyllic life: a happy family, a lovely suburban home. Meanwhile, nearly three million married veterans were … Lustron homes are unique in appearance and in how they are built. 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. Prefabricated and mass-produced, the Lustron Home was to be the answer to America’s housing shortage in the late 1940s. In two years there were 2,498 homes produced by Lustron, and 159 of those were built in Indiana. Though not very well known, many people believe Lustron homes now have historical value. Mar 16, 2013 - Explore Meghan Meyer's board "Lustron Home ", followed by 109 people on Pinterest. During a recent, seemingly straightforward repair job on the gutters, Zeiger had to first remove the roof tiles. Less than 2,700 Lustrons were built, of which 2,000, in various states of repair, are thought to still exist. 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. In 2018, many of the Lustron homes (only 2,500 were built) still have original siding and roofs and feature interior built-in cabinets. Literally, side by side, you could read newspaper columns across the country about Marines and … The Lustron was devised in response to a shortage of housing immediately after World War II. New neighborhoods opened up and “tract house” designs flourished for bungalows and ranch-style houses … You'll find some fascinating pieces of the … Fifty-seven Quantico Lustrons were … All were built in 1950. Built from 1948-50, only about 3000 were made, with 3 different models available. In a Lustron home you will find a built-in buffet, china pass through and built in bookcases and dressers. Originally, Lustron homes were available in a single model called the Esquire. A total of 2,498 Lustron Homes were manufactured over the next two years. See more ideas about prefab homes, prefab, vintage house. The Dove Gray West Chester Deluxe Lustron home on exhibit at the Ohio History Connection is open to visitors. 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