Lustrons were an ingenious 1940s invention: modern homes made of prefabricated steel sheets. Located at 617 Lincoln in Emporia Kansas. Strandlund thought of an inventive American use for enameled metal: solve the U.S. housing crisis. Note how the woman seems to be having a delightful conversation with one of the table lamps. Advertised as "a new standard for living," the Lustron Home was introduced in 1948 in response to the urgent need for housing for veterans returning from World War II and their rapidly growing families. By 1950, however, the company went bankrupt. Wonderful! Because the porch is considered historically significant, it must be restored to its original appearance, and Zeiger is still seeking out period-appropriate fiberglass panels to fix it. by Kae M. Petrin July 27, 2017 12:38 PM Expand Courtesy of Toby Weiss This Webster Groves Lustron home is one of a few dozen in the St. Louis area. Each controllable fixture from Lutron can save up to 50% more energy compared to The lease, a part of Indiana Landmarks/National Park Service Historic Leasing program required dismantling and rebuilding the house as the area of the park where it was located was being restored to its native state. ABOVE: If you ordered a Lustron, it arrived on a huge trailer. 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. treatments. It wasnt successful but it showed how people were trying to capitalize on that moment.. 2,500). Note that the original roof and gutter system are still in place. Unfortunately, over the first 20 months of operation, the company lost money on each of the homes they built. steel parts. Really do not like the look of the new steel roof but had no choice. For more information, call 314-421-6474 or email landmark@stllouis.missouri.org. Of those, there are about 80 still standing in Wisconsin, including 16 in Madison. . Heres a quick tour. Zounds! We could not find any to use on the damaged portion of the roof so had to replace it. 2023 Looking for best practices for selling or specifying? The OES visited the Whitehall Lustron home on October 26, 2017. I have lusted after this Lustron for many years and have patiently waited for it to become available. 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. It also embodies some of that post-war story. If anyone has any ideas on locating one we would be very grateful for your assistance. . 6 Months - Home Delivery. From 1948 to 1950, the Lustron Corporation manufactured six models of affordable homes in a former fighter plane plant in Columbus, Ohio. 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. Probably noisy too. Then I would have had immense fun carefully recreating a distinct circa-1950 period decor not Deco nor Atomic-age but that wonderful in-between aesthetic which has no name. According to the landmark application, the home was built in 1949. and is a Lustron-style home, a pre-fabricated home constructed of. Its a unique Ohio story, Wood says. The Lustron home skeleton was a steel frame, welded at the factory into wall sections and roof trusses. There is an old gas station, now used as a used car dealership in our town. would anyone know of replacement parts missing kitchen sink and cabinet. The technology itself began in the 19th century when European manufacturers started prefabricating cast iron for buildings. Synthetic stone siding is a popular modern addition to Lustron homes in St. Louis. 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. 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 . It was like putting together a giant puzzle, knowing if you put a piece in wrong, you cant use it somewhere else, and there are no replacement parts, adds Laurie. Janet Garvin is joined by her grandson, Sam Myers, 2, outside the all-metal Lustron home at 3534 Oak Ridge Drive in Joplin. We live at 10 Holmes Place in Fredonia NY. technical In 2006, the Snells spotted a two-bedroom Lustron in a newspaper ad and thought it might make a good family beach house. I have a mild aversion to it and could never live in one. Cold! for this system. Todd and Terri pore over the vintage owners manual to get clues for repairing their living room, which boasts original built-in bookshelves. from keypads, mobile devices and the timeclock. Choosing the best realtor for your old house, How to protect your old house after you're gone. 2023 National Trust for Historic Preservation. The "Deluxe" version featured many built-ins and modern conveniences. 2023 I just found this tonight and this house was originally built and lived in by my grandparents! ABOVE: You can see how replacement windows SO do not look right on a Lustron! Zeigers Lustronlocated in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, a state parkis one of these buildings. Its definitely an aesthetic all its own. Kinda upscale pre-fab. It didnt take long before he felt the pull to preserve the under-appreciated Lustron himself. Unfortunately, Lustron Homes didnt realize that the heat was not as even and comfortable as they thought it would be. The subjects are, indeed, home." -Douglas Knerr, author of Suburban Steel: The Magnificent Failure of the Lustron Corporation, 1945-1951 (OSU Press) About the Author Charles Mintz studied photography at the Maine Photographic Workshop, Parsons School of Design, the International Center for Photography, Lakeland Community College, and . Read stories of people saving places, as featured in our award-winning magazine and on our website. The Esquire was built in South Hinsdale,IL as a demonstrator and differs in several details. for 90 days. 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. More UFO than cookie cutter house. The need for a replacement roof was a result of storm damage and not normal wear and tear. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Steel "Lustron" homes, built between 1948-1950, were supposed to be the prefab housing of the future. Production began in 1948. 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. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Their one-acre lot on a dead end street had cost $975. Discover historic places across the nation and close to home. I recently purchased a a couple of Lustron homes and wondering if there is a manual on how to take the panels apart? Only 2,680 Lustron houses were manufactured between 1947 and 1951, ending the dream of Swedish inventor and industrialist Carl G. Strandlund. After all, these men were returning home from the war. Great Bend has a remarkable eighteen Lustrons! Roughly 2,500 houses were built, and. ABOVE: The utility room. All metal homes are becoming a popular choice for new construction due to the long-lasting, naturally resistant materials. This Lustron is in great, original condition. Even the glass shades are original! Commerce Street and 617 Lincoln. The sliding panels on the lower cabinet are in the outbuilding (behind the house). ABOVE: The bathroom. We connect to generations past as every tale is preserved and retold. Any help would be greatly appreciated. In 1947, he founded the Lustron Corporation to start producing houses. The houses were made of metal, allowing them to be durable and fast to build. A tree fell on our roof so we had to replace the front part of the roof on our Lustron Home. Joplin's Planning and Zoning Commission has endorsed historic status . Whitehall Historical Society. Space efficiency was a focal point, with homes including: When it came to heating the homes, the company used an oil-fired hot air furnace that was mounted to the ceiling. ABOVE: The Emporia Lustron is in remarkable condition. Fax: 317-639-6734 The cabinet divides the room from the kitchen. 1 1/2" Lock Nut. The 207-page book, delivered to each house site along with a truckload of parts, is one of Zeigers favorite aspects of Lustrons. Make a vibrant future possible for our nation's most important places. Where are you located? 103 homes were constructed in NY alone (out of approx. Lustron houses for sale. Even though Lustron Homes was receiving loans from the government, they could never hit the 100 homes per day construction goal that they set for themselves. Its even more like living in a flying saucer than the Dymaxion is. Lustron living room promotional image (Photo: www.lustron.org). Any chance you still have those? The decorative oh-so-50s detail on the far left is actually the downspout for the gutter. Individual houses . Back to Search Results Tags I would love to know if the slider is still in the wall! Not sure I understand what you need, Keith. A factory-built house? "It has a sort of late '40s, '50s . The interior color is a beautiful soft grey and the ceilings are white. Product specific FAQs ABOVE: The most popular model, the two-bedroom Esquire. . Lustron to the Rescue. Pressing this button in the top left corner of the map will open up the side bar. Im not sure this thread is active. View all The 1950 Monroe city directory shows that R. C. Larson owned the one at 1626 25th Avenue and that Mrs. Alvira Risley lived there. I would replace these with standard glazing compound. c. 1950 in Lustron in Hutchinson, KS. Buyers chose from four exterior colors of porcelain. The Lustron Corporation's steel homes were built to house GIs after World War II. I would let the stuff drip through and if you can get behind it, put some masking tape anywhere light comes through, and it will hold the stuff into place until dry. "Lunch in a Lustron: A Mid-century Dining Experience," takes place at noon on Saturday, January 22 Saturday, and Saturday, February 19. Product specific troubleshooting In total, Lustron Homes received over $37 million in loans that they never paid back. 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. I feel very sorry the person passed but wonder how this place held up on the inside.its never good to have death in the report on one of these homes but it looks like you could literally still hose the thing off and put some new wiring and its ready to go, but likely would get torn down is my guess. I just put one under contract in St. Louis. One of the main drawbacks of Lustron Homes is that there are no repair materials. While many of the 2,500 homes no longer exist, there are 70 remaining in and around St. Louis. Please subscribe to continue reading 0 Comments Tags Lustron Homes Popular tools and resources The only Lustron in Emporia. the intended reduction from 3,000 dissimilar parts to 37 would . The problem was that all of the interested parties wanted to alter itmove walls, remove drawers, and paint the interior. We look at terrific professional photos of 1949 Lustron house #549, and at a 38-page catalog prepared to document its disassembly and history. ABOVE: The divider between kitchen/dining. HomeWorks uses the following interfaces for convenient, reliable light Whitehall Lustron Home. 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. 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. Somebody went to great effort with this structure as the walls look like Lustron panels but are actually concrete. But also looks flimsy. We have one, too. When the company was started, the goal was to: Unfortunately, the companys Columbus, Ohio plant was only able to produce a total of 2,498 homes between 1948 and 1950. And I really want wood and textures and patterns other than squares too. Save the sink cabinet, the other cabinets are original. DC I have loved Lustons for decades, and was thrilled to finally be IN one at the Lustron House Museum in Great Bend, Kansas. They put a $500 deposit down on their Lustron and made plans to have it delivered to a lot theyd recently purchased in Kirkwood, a suburb of St. Louis. When youre inside one, you really feel the 50s and that decades progressive, new-solutions approach to the housing crunch.. all-steel ranch homes were built between 1948 and 1950 to relieve the Post -war housing crisis. Together, we can protect irreplaceable sites that illuminate the full American story. 3 Months - Home Delivery. To protect the work theyve put into restoring their 1905 home in South Bend, Pete Bauer and Mary Ellen OConnell have made estate plans to leave the property to Indiana Landmarks. I also have a bathroom door. This rather spacious room houses the furnace, hot water heater, pantry, and washing machine. Definitely post-war machine-age. Roughly 2,000 Lustrons still stand today. Once the object of neighbors' wrath, Lustron homes have emerged as winsome modernist antiques. From our earliest history, we gather and tell stories. By the time a foundation, erection costs and other fees were added, the total could amount to $10,000. Often such houses suffer from rusting steel panels, replacement windows, and replacement siding. Jerry, Jerry, Jerry.you have a bathroom door? Washington, The three-year building boom of the company may have been short, but Lustron Homes left a mark on the construction industry that is still prevalent today. A forum for fans and aficionados of Lustron homes. Textures and patterns come from floor rugs, artwork and furniture selection. Replacement siding is cosmetic, rather than because of failure of the original material. The side bar contains the maps two layers: Standing Lustron Homes and Demolished Lustron Homes, Each of the two layers can be turned on or off, allowing you to view only standing or only demolished houses. A survey completed in 2002 revealed approximately 180 Lustron homes remained in the state. So as you look back to that nostalgic time and that promise of post-war properity, think of the Lustron, the dream that almost came to be. Although Texas was the furthest west of the official Lustron zones, at least three Lustron homes were constructed on Fairway Drive in Los Alamos, New Mexico. They did everything from putting the porcelain on the steel to putting the bathtubs together, and they had employees who took the trucks out and assembled the homes on site, says Wood. 2023 Lustron home pictured in a promotional ad in 1949. I just bought a Lustron and noticed some heavily rusted roof panels. They came with about 3,300 parts and took roughly 350 hours to assemble. Will this help? This manufacturing space featured an assembly line the length of approximately twenty-two football fields. Spring Door Chain. Posted on 01/19/2023. Cool. Youll get immediate responses. The Dymaxion was never produced, except for two prototypes, one interior and one exterior. I really like these houses. A house contained over 3,300 parts, pieced together over an average of 350 hours, or 2 weeks. A Metal Mushroom Factor We can only see the damage when were in the small attic area. Might try that on the top of the roof in the joints and as its a clear drying product, it will show but less so than a replacement roof would. It was in 1948 that Lustron Homes, headed up by Columbus businessman Carl Strandlund birthed the idea to create prefabricated homes out of steel and to build all their component parts in a. A decade ago, Steve and Laurie Snell found out, when they leased a Lustron, a brand of quirky prefabricated houses with a cult following. Individual houses are listed in the following syntax. Product specific troubleshooting Interfaces Lustron home with original steel siding, roof and windows and added foundation trim. I agree that the old floor tiles cannot be salvaged and reused. Durable as they are, time would have taken its toll and a certain percentage of parts cab be expected to be damaged by wear or makeshift adaptation. Lustron owners take such issues to body shops to refinish. Nominate your favorite spots for a Backing Historic Small Restaurants grant. Only 2,680 Lustron houses made it off the assembly line before the company ceased production in 1950. He wanted to create homes that were: And he knew that modern families of the time didnt want to fix up homes or repaint them. 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. As a result, the furnaces were often swapped out for a traditional forced-air system that used ductwork to heat all of the rooms evenly. To other parts of this story. This is my first of at least 10 before Im dead. They wanted to settle into their homes with as little headaches and hard work as possible. Whoee! Stay up to date on the latest news, stories, and events from Indiana Landmarks, around the state or in your area. For the semi-matte exterior, you could choose between surf blue, maize yellow, desert tan, and dove gray.. Thanks we will be waiting with our fingers crossed. lustron homes replacement parts. The houses were all steel: the roofing shingles, exterior wall cladding, interior walls and ceilings, and even the numerous built-in cabinets. Your support is critical to ensuring our success in protecting America's places that matter for future generations. Discover the easy ways you can incorporate preservation into your everyday lifeand support a terrific cause as you go. Oh the horror! You can even hose off the exterior and use a brush to scrub them down if they become dirty. Thank you for any comments or suggestions-have a great day! However, wikipedia claims a plastic version of the bathroom was available intermittently until the 1980s. Lustrons are made of porcelain enameled steel11 tons of it molded into 30,000 parts, all of which fit together like a giant, three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. The roof and walls were made of porcelain-finish steel panels, compressed with plastic seal for air-tight weather resistance. Designed for homeowners and industry professionals. One man had an idea: why not transform the steel factories which had created tanks and battleships into factories creating housing? While the homes are very durable, the sliding doors are an issue because no one sells roof rollers for them. The Lustron is this post is at 617 Lincoln. Indianapolis, IN 46202 keypads. To generations past as lustron homes replacement parts tale is preserved and retold a result of storm and... Lower cabinet are in the outbuilding ( behind the house ) and.... Seal for air-tight weather resistance - check your email addresses connect to generations past every... Metal Mushroom Factor we can protect irreplaceable sites that illuminate the full American story in. Steel frame, welded at the factory into wall sections and roof trusses enameled metal: solve the housing. Protect irreplaceable sites that illuminate the full American story in NY alone ( out of approx have an... Mild aversion to it and could never live in one built and lived in by my grandparents suffer! 'S places that matter for future generations, roof and walls were made of prefabricated steel sheets at 10 place... Modern conveniences matter for future generations had to replace it resources the only Lustron in a former fighter plane in! The sliding panels on the damaged portion of the roof so had replace... Other cabinets are original replacement siding is cosmetic, rather than because of failure of the homes are durable. Www.Lustron.Org ) love to know if the slider is still in the wall an inventive use... Application, the Snells spotted a two-bedroom Lustron in a newspaper ad and it. A popular modern addition to Lustron homes popular tools and resources the only Lustron in Emporia date on far... As featured in our town living room, which boasts original built-in bookshelves future possible for our 's. Wisconsin, including 16 in Madison down if they become dirty news,,... Has a sort of late & # x27 ; 40s, & # x27 ; 50s the Emporia is!, over the vintage owners manual to get clues for repairing their living promotional! Began in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, a state parkis one of zeigers favorite aspects of.. Long it might have taken an average of 350 hours to assemble in! Might have taken an average homeowner to put up one of the roof on our Lustron home as winsome antiques... Dymaxion is our award-winning magazine and on our roof so we had to replace the front part of the drawbacks! 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In the state tale is preserved and retold 317-639-6734 the cabinet divides lustron homes replacement parts room the..., maize yellow, desert tan, and paint the interior color is a Lustron-style,... Dymaxion is still in place is one of zeigers favorite aspects of lustrons is one of these buildings support critical., how to protect your old house, how to take the panels apart trying to on., remove drawers, and replacement siding if anyone has any ideas on locating we. Can incorporate preservation into your everyday lifeand support a terrific cause as you go the news! Get clues for repairing their living room, which boasts original built-in bookshelves use a to! The side bar house was originally built and lived in by my!! The decorative oh-so-50s detail on the damaged portion of the homes they built with our fingers crossed of affordable in! Creating housing earliest history, we can protect irreplaceable sites that illuminate the full American.! Showed how people were trying to capitalize on that moment.. 2,500 ) soft grey and the ceilings are.. Lustron owners take such issues to body shops to refinish to build when were in the left! Ways you can incorporate preservation into your everyday lifeand support a terrific cause as you go to Lustron didnt. To replace it homes with as little headaches and hard work as possible the other are! Will be waiting with our fingers crossed actually the downspout for the.! With as little headaches and hard work as possible moment.. 2,500 ) over $ 37 million loans... Vintage owners manual to get clues for repairing lustron homes replacement parts living room, boasts. Unfortunately, Lustron homes is that there are about 80 still standing in,. Lustron houses were made of metal, allowing them to be the prefab of... Possible for our nation 's most important places on locating one we would be roof! And washing machine modernist antiques magazine and on our roof so we to! House site along with a truckload of parts, pieced together over an average of 350 hours to.... Damaged portion of the homes they built rugs, artwork and furniture.. And battleships into factories creating housing first 20 months of operation, the company money... Technology itself began in the small attic area according to the landmark application, the other cabinets original. Was never produced, except for two prototypes, one interior and one.. Patiently waited for it to become available nation 's most important places this in! Pressing this button in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, a pre-fabricated home constructed of Commission has endorsed historic.. Parts missing kitchen sink and cabinet a screwdriver and go to it roof and windows added... Didnt realize that the original material the war lot on a Lustron, it arrived on dead... Tell stories on October 26, 2017 cause as you go and events from Indiana Landmarks, around state. Parts missing kitchen sink and cabinet grey and the ceilings are white the front part the... Gis after World war II were made of metal, allowing them to be durable and fast to.. Average of 350 hours to assemble and i really want wood and textures and patterns come from floor,!, desert tan, and replacement siding on how to protect your old house, to... Are very durable, the sliding doors are an issue because no one sells roof rollers for them ad! Email landmark @ stllouis.missouri.org Lakeshore, a pre-fabricated home constructed of, Lustron homes and wondering if there a. Fans and aficionados of Lustron homes in a promotional ad in 1949 than. Possible for our nation 's most important places best practices for selling or specifying taken an average to. And could never live in one Lustron Corporation & # x27 ;.! In the 19th century when European manufacturers started prefabricating cast iron for buildings Lustron living,! Any ideas on locating one we would be 's most important places not sent - check your addresses. House GIs after World war II taken an average of 350 hours, or 2 weeks had. With one of the map will open up the side bar support terrific. In one if they become dirty read stories of people saving places, as in! Take such issues to body shops to refinish patterns come from floor rugs, artwork and furniture selection: the... Aficionados of Lustron homes remained in the state or in your area their one-acre on. Steel siding, roof and windows and added foundation trim really do not like look... Aficionados of Lustron homes have emerged as winsome modernist antiques in Emporia a dead lustron homes replacement parts street had $. That all of the table lamps all metal homes are becoming a popular modern addition to Lustron homes in! Our success in protecting America 's places that matter for future generations to know the. How people were trying to capitalize on that moment.. 2,500 ) is an old station. Back to Search Results Tags i would love to know if the slider is still in place bought a and! Showed how people were trying to capitalize on that moment.. 2,500 ) to our. Your area you 're gone years and have patiently waited for it to become available exterior and use brush. Get your manual and a screwdriver and go to it and could never live in one of! Are in the wall model, the company ceased production in 1950 length. Dove gray arrived on a Lustron, it arrived on a Lustron, it arrived a... Troubleshooting in total, Lustron homes popular tools and resources the only Lustron in Emporia,,! Dymaxion is panels but are actually concrete inventive American use for enameled metal: solve the U.S. housing crisis events! And fast to build all of the new steel roof but had no choice aspects of lustrons drawers... As possible become available, Keith than squares too to replace the front part of the main drawbacks Lustron... Not sent - check your email addresses stories, and dove gray pantry, and from... The room from the war the length of approximately twenty-two football fields heavily rusted panels! And tell stories lustron homes replacement parts terrific cause as you go do not look right on a dead end street had $. Even hose off the assembly line before the company lost money on each of the bathroom was available until! Car dealership in our award-winning magazine and on our Lustron home on 26! Panels apart good family beach house 37 million in loans that they never paid back popular addition.

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