This blog post was written by SCHS volunteer Gail Denisoff.
When millions of GIs returned home from World War II, they
faced the biggest housing shortage in US history. Veterans and their young families were
desperate for homes of their own and wanted to take advantage of the low
interest rates guaranteed by the GI Bill.
Construction companies were frantically trying to meet the need as
suburbs were springing up around cities nationwide. Wilson
Wyatt, the federal government's new Housing Expediter, estimated that 3 million
houses needed to be built between 1946 and 1947 and the demand for most of
these homes was among low and middle income families.
Prefabricated houses were proposed as a remedy for the
crisis with nearly 300 companies entering the industry in the late 1940’s. It was
believed that manufacturing and technical advances generated by the war would
result in homes rolling off production lines by the millions. This never
happened. In 1946 and 1947, only 37,000 prefabricated houses were put up. For many prospective buyers, prefabricated
housing still carried the stigma of the shoddy emergency housing built during
the war. Some had aesthetic objections to visible joints between panels and
thin painted plywood walls. Local building codes and the opposition of labor
unions were also obstacles.
Enter the
technologically sophisticated Lustron House - “The House America Has Been
Waiting For”. Of all the companies
joining the prefab market, Lustron was one of only three to receive a direct
federal loan. 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."
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| Advertisement for the Lustron Home in Life Magazine. |
Strandlund's Lustron Corporation set out to construct 15,000
homes in 1947 and 30,000 in 1948. However, the corporation eventually
constructed just 2,498 homes between 1948 and 1950. Lustron homes were built entirely of steel in
a former airplane factory using materials and technology developed during the
war. Interior and exterior surfaces were steel with a porcelain enamel finish
baked onto panels. The roof shingles and all framing were also made of steel. The
houses, which sold for $6,000 to $10,000, arrived in 3000 pieces on a specially
designed truck.
Homeowners had a choice of three models - Westchester, Newport and Meadowbrook; the
most
popular being the Westchester Deluxe with approximately 78 built in New
York State. Most homes were built on
concrete slabs by local Lustron dealer/builders following a factory manual
which estimated they could be completed in 360 man-hours. Owners also had a choice of two or three bedrooms
and could choose from four exterior colors; surf blue, dove gray, maize yellow
and desert tan. Interior colors were
neutral gray, ivory, blue, yellow and pink. Local dealers supplied flooring
options. In 1949 Lustron also offered
garage packages
The Lustron Corporation declared bankruptcy in 1950, despite
being an extremely well-funded, well-
publicized, government-supported
enterprise that was 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. Some accounts suggest an organized effort from
the existing housing industry to stop Strandlund. Another issue was that dealerships had to pay
for homes in advance and needed to order in quantity to make a profit. When Lustron closed, dealerships had paid for
thousands of homes that were never manufactured and many lost a great deal of
money.
Although builders reported a strong interest in the homes, locally
only 18 homes were built by Albany builder Upstate Construction Corp. and 21 by
Amsterdam/Schenectady builder Wilson Bartlett Taylor by the end of 1949. Both companies were undoubtedly hurt
financially when Lustron ceased production.
Dealerships nationwide submitted testimony to a subcommittee of the
Senate Committee on Banking and Finance stating their confidence to sell the
homes if manufacture continued. Upstate Construction
Corp. of Albany reported by telegram:
“Have been a Lustron dealer for 8 months and have erected
and sold 20 Lustron houses without use of a sales force or sales effort. Have used this time (8 months) to train
crews. Now can turn out a Lustron house
ever 3 days in 350 erection hours. Have
just employed large sales staff and can sell 100 houses in matter of weeks. Am prepared to erect 100 houses in next 4
months and 300 houses in year. Have 18
years as leading builder in our area.
Lustron is best value ever offered.
All dealers this section in similar position having spent months
training crews. None employed any sales
effort during training period. We’re all
ready now to meet tremendous demand for Lustron. If Lustron permitted to continue this year,
success is assured.” Despite the efforts
of the 221 dealerships who testified to the Senate, Lustron ceased production
in March of 1950.
One Lustron home that has been preserved in near original
condition is on Slater Drive in Glenville. Built in 1949, it was the
Westchester Deluxe 2 bedroom model in dove gray built on a slab foundation. When inspected, only two changes to the
original home were noted – the outside trim had been painted and the bathroom
door replaced. It was added to the National Register in 2008 and at that time
was still occupied by the original owners.
The home has steel panels inside and out with built in closets, original
metal kitchen cabinets, built in vanity and dining room hutch. It also retains the original bay window and
aluminum casement windows, signature gutters and zigzag downspout, entry porch,
steel rooftiles and chimney and inside wall panels and trim elements. Photos of this home were taken as part of the New York State Lustron Home Survey in 2007 and some can be seen below.
As a testament to the durability of Lustron homes, today
almost 2000 are still standing although many have been modified over the
years. A good number enjoy official
protection through the National Register of Historic Places. Even though many owners are trying to
preserve the original integrity of the homes, existing Lustron homes face an
uncertain future. Because of their small
size and the changing demands of modern living the homes do not appeal to young
buyers. Only time will tell if these homes can sustain modern family life or if
alternative uses for them can be found.
