Ive never seen or heard of a Lustron before. Save the sink cabinet, the other cabinets are original. The first time Todd Zeiger heard of a Lustron house he was in college, where one of his historic-preservation classes focused on post-World War II homes designed to assuage housing shortages for returning GIs. From our earliest history, we gather and tell stories. Both the 02 and 03 standard designs were Westchester models. Although Zeiger had lectured on the houses for years and visited hundreds of them, restoring one has been a challenge. a piece of plywood and some white siding in the rear would buy you a lot of time to get correct panels and if you needed to, it looks like sheet metal can simply be placed over the spots, but id do this in the least noticable spots if you have to do this, aka, the rear of the home . John Weinhoeft says . Explore this remarkable collection of historic sites online. Unfortunately, over the first 20 months of operation, the company lost money on each of the homes they built. Lustron owners take such issues to body shops to refinish. A survey completed in 2002 revealed approximately 180 Lustron homes remained in the state. It's on the market for $375,000. Individual houses . Designed for homeowners and industry professionals. ABOVE: The most popular model, the two-bedroom Esquire. Back to Search Results Tags The one-story, roughly 1,000-square-foot Lustron homes were built in the late 1940s entirely of porcelain-enameled steel panels on conveyor belts in a former aircraft plant in Columbus, Ohio. I cannot imagine how in, say, 1980 one would have been able to properly restore a Lustron. Connected lighting, shades, and hand-crafted controls that elevate everyday life. A happy family in a print advertisement showing a Lustron living room. The Lustron Home. Nine of them can still be found in Ann Arbor, in close to their original condition despite dire predictions at the time . The room has electricity but no plumbing or HVAC. What could be better than a $10,000 home that lasts 100 years without the need to paint, re-shingle or repair? Inside, families could sit around a built-in, glossy-surfaced table, eating home-cooked dinners in cozy domestic bliss. A Look Inside Rare Lustron Home for Sale in Oak Park. 617 is the only Lustron I know of in Emporia. View all technical documentation for this system. About 20% of the interior space is storage! Did this company make garages? When the. easy-to-use Its loans were recalled, forcing the company into bankruptcy in 1950. I would carefully restore this fabulous structure. The GRAFIK Eye QS main unit allows for the control of multiple lighting and Lustron Homes produced over 2,000 homes between 1947 and 1950, but they didnt have the capital to repay Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which provided startup loans to Lustron. Lustrons are like a giant Erector Set, and I get to play with one all the time, he says.How cool is that?, Tags: Demetra Aposporos Lee Bey Lustron mid-century modern OHJ March/April 2007 Old-House Journal. The sliding panels on the lower cabinet are in the outbuilding (behind the house). Lutron occupancy sensors automatically turn lights on when a room is occupied and off when a room is vacant. And you dont have to paint it, you can clean the walls with windex, and you can hang things with magnets.. Its a whole book about deconstructing a Lustron. ABOVE: The all-steel interiors were softened by rugs, upholstered furnishings, and curtains. High gloss, flat steel panels set in a rigid grid, gah! We could not find any to use on the damaged portion of the roof so had to replace it. There are six Lustron houses in the 5000 block of Nicollet Avenue: 5009, 5015, 5021, 5027, 5047, and 5055. The only Lustron in Emporia. Note how the woman seems to be having a delightful conversation with one of the table lamps. The Lustron Corporation geared up to produce thousands of the homes from its re-tooled aircraft factory in Columbus, Ohio, before financing misjudgments and corruption in federal housing agencies forced its premature closure. It's called a Lustron home, and when it was built it was advertised as the home in the U.S. that everyone was anticipating, according to the Arlington Virginia Historical Society . Textures and patterns come from floor rugs, artwork and furniture selection. technical documentation . I do not know what is wrong with the finish of the closet sliders. Comments are opinions and do not represent the listing, property . Wow! Staff picked a building site on the parks far east end that mirrored the original locations topography. is your house facing the road, i would take the panels off the rear of the house and repair the front to look nice and do your patches in the back of the house instead. This manufacturing space featured an assembly line the length of approximately twenty-two football fields. And it can be yours for $49,000. Initially, the builder offers a 1,000 square-foot bungalow home featuring two bedrooms and 2-foot square steel panels for the exterior. Visit our Control Center of Excellence for tools and resources to help you select, install, and use LEDs with confidence. Lutron Electronics Co., Inc, Technical Documentation & Support Overview, Anti-Slavery & Human Trafficking Statements, Cleaning Recommendations for Lutron Products, 120V, 250 W CFL / LED , 500 W Incandescent / Halogen / ELV, 400 VA MLV, 360 field of view, 400 sq. The interior color is a beautiful soft grey and the ceilings are white. ABOVE: The smaller bedroom. Its just not architectural enough for me. Lustron Homes were revolutionary for the time, and they were exceptionally well-built. 1201 Central Avenue Roughly 2,000 Lustrons still stand today. In 1948 $8500 is equivalent to $83,952 accounting for inflation. But maybe, maybe, some crazy nut (with money!) Good luck! There is a Lustron a 10 minute drive from me and I am rather surprised it is still standing, given the amount of new homes built around here. Not bad looking! "They're very unique homes," says listing agent Kevin Rutherford. The homes seamless, repeating panel design necessitated assembling it in stages that built on earlier work, finally adding the roof, which locked the rest of the construction in place. As Strandlund advertised, What Lustron offers is a new way of life.. Youd just get your manual and a screwdriver and go to it. Of course, its not entirely clear how long it might have taken an average homeowner to put up one of these houses. It's through these stories that we connect. ABOVE: In the linen closet is the original flooring. zones. I would relocate the meter, all the wiring, and the AC condenser. By 1950, however, the company went bankrupt. Kinda upscale pre-fab. View all The company received a multimillion-dollar loan from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to get started. I just found this tonight and this house was originally built and lived in by my grandparents! Jerry, Jerry, Jerry.you have a bathroom door? While the homes are very durable, the sliding doors are an issue because no one sells roof rollers for them. Very fun! After WWII, factories across America were suddenly idle. And it can be yours for $49,000. The technology itself began in the 19th century when European manufacturers started prefabricating cast iron for buildings. The only fear I have is would it stick to the glasslike paint; might need a scotchbrite pad to roughen it so it can hold. The Lustron Corporation's steel homes were built to house GIs after World War II. By the time a foundation, erection costs and other fees were added, the total could amount to $10,000. You can use the search function in the full screen version. As long as they look from the era (the ones we have are reddish brown), they would look at home. Since these homes are often prefabricated in a factory, builders maintain a higher-quality standard and homes are erected faster. steel parts. Concealed screws fastened interlocking panels to the steel framing, and permanent plastic sealing strips, compressed between panels, formed gaskets to make the walls tight and moisture resistant. Our 1960s national prefab home has them in an addition and, even if you found a place that has them, they very rarely come off the floor in one piece for historic salvage. Here was this little gem of a Lustron, original to the day it was constructed in 1949, and people couldnt see its value, says Zeiger. Buckminister Fuller had a similar (but far more exotic) idea with his Dymaxion house. Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window). There are some ceramic tiles made this size that might work as a vintage-looking replacement but it seems that if you want a bit less expensive option, you might try the 88 size as these cost 1/2 as much and actually seem to come in more colors that well, and fit the design of that house a lot better. The roof panels have rusted through the bottom of them-We are just now searching for a sealer, etc. Before Lustron Corp. declared bankruptcy in 1950, 23 homes were assembled in Polk County, according to Thomas T. Fetters' 2002 book "The Lustron Home." I have just purchased a Lustron home in Greenfield Indiana, it is all in otiginal condition. Fax: 317-639-6734 Any suggestions on presumably ductless ACs that would fit the Lustron system without destroying the heating system? Still, G.I.s were able to purchase these homes for significantly less than their conventional home counterparts. The Lustron walls are definitely not flimsy. For those mechanically-minded, you will greatly enjoy this page. If Madison city officials approve, America will soon lose another Lustron which, depending on your view of the prefabricated, mass-produced, and yet decidedly distinct post-World War II homes, could be a gift to good taste or a blow to the nation's architectural history. But at least they are still in place. Lustron houses are prefabricated enameled steel houses developed in the post-World War II era United States in response to the shortage of homes for returning GIs. Although Zeiger had lectured on the houses for years and visited hundreds of them, restoring one has been a challenge. For each home, the company used 12 tons of steel and an additional ton of enamel. The roof and walls were made of porcelain-finish steel panels, compressed with plastic seal for air-tight weather resistance. . 20005. I measured the floor tiles we have, and they are 99 inches in size. Taking over a former warplane manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio, the Lustron factory spanned over 1 million square feet of machinery, employing many war veterans. Just the sound and feeling of solid quality. I love shiny painted metal when its formed into voluptuous curves. We have several roof panels that were not damaged and were wondering if anyone knows someone who would like to purchase them. all-steel ranch homes were built between 1948 and 1950 to relieve the Post -war housing crisis. All metal homes are becoming a popular choice for new construction due to the long-lasting, naturally resistant materials. This is one of the things I love about Lustrons: they were incredibly well thought out. Ann Arbor Observer, March 1989. LCI offers online training and in-person workshops for industry professionals. The panels open to reveal plumbing (the bathroom is on the other side of the wall) and telephone connections. Nice! I loved your post. America were suddenly idle to relieve the Post -war housing crisis the Post -war crisis. How the woman seems to be having a delightful conversation with one of the roof panels rusted! Of porcelain-finish steel panels, compressed with plastic seal for air-tight weather resistance portion... 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