The Lustron Home's five popular designs include the Sinclair, Westchester, Porsten, Weston, and Wilmington. Each Lustron house was crafted from prefabricated steel components that allow homeowners to erect these dwellings within weeks – from letter order. Constructed from porcelain-enameled steel, they are specific in size, shape, and decoration. It is a unique experience to view these designs, as each of the five models is iconic in its own way. Possessed with characteristics such as wings on the Porsten and rounded postwar styling of the Westchester, the Lustron Home is revolutionary in bringing offices and businesses to the home in one complete building.Lustron Home Plans: Five Popular Designs
Lustron Home Plans: Five Popular Designs
The Lustron House was a product of the Atomic Age that aimed to make housing easier and more accessible for the increasing demand of families moving into US cities during the post-World War II period. Produced from steel, these homes increase resistance to pests and flame while also protecting from vagrant weather conditions. The Lustron Home is one of the most efficient housing solutions created in the modern era, giving families the chance to have an efficient and cost-effective housing solution.The Lustron House: A Prefab House of the Atomic Age
The Lustron House: A Prefab House of the Atomic Age
Using a combination of steel and porcelain-enameled steel Lustron homes were built with high attention to oral detail and precision for a style and look that’s still admired today. As part of the Lustron home collection, 12 models in 14 fascinating photos include the Sinclair, Westchester, Porsten, Weston, and Wilmington. These fascinating photos showcase the unique and stylish design of the Lustron home gives any homeowner a stylish living space that stands the test of time.A Collection of 12 Lustron Homes in 14 Fascinating Photos
A Collection of 12 Lustron Homes in 14 Fascinating Photos
Lustron homes are iconic for their steel construction and applying the cladding for porcelain -enameled finish, each home offers a variety of features in order to fit their unique style. Each of the five homes – Sinclair, Westchester, Porsten, Weston, and Wilmington – prestigiously stand and have their own notable features such as rounded Southwestern style of the Porsten model, or the square and long rectangular features of the Westchester. These landmarks of the Atomic Age have been popular for years and continue to be a reminder of innovation and evolution.An Explainer of Popular Lustron Home Designs
An Explainer of Popular Lustron Home Designs
The Lustron home represents a part of the American history written in steel. Created in the revolutionary postwar era during the Atomic Age, this form of housing was specifically designed to be constructed with porcelain-enameled steel and provide more homes in a short period of time. In addition, this type of housing provides greater protection than a wooden constructed one as steel is not prone to fire, weather, or pests. These homes represent a symbol of the shareholding mentality of the US Government in providing housing for its citizens.History of the Lustron Home: Architectural History Written in Metal
History of the Lustron Home: Architectural History Written in Metal
What do come to mind when you think of Lustron homes? Perhaps not window shopping, but it’s actually a great idea to shop around for accessories for one of these unique steel homes. There are a variety of accessories that you can buy for a Lustron home, such as replicas of vintage porcelain fixtures, cool color palettes, shades of green for Lustron home interiors, or unique wall décor. Shop around and consult some professionals in order to give your Lustron home a unique look and feel within its’ steel interior.Window Shopping: Lustron Home Accessories
Window Shopping: Lustron Home Accessories
The Lustron Corporation released brochures to illustrate it's seven house designs in the 1940s. The models were the Capell, Oxford, Ruthford, Westchester, Sinclair, Wilimington and Weston. These designs featured various steel components as well as porcelain enameled steel siding – all designed to promote the durability of the home against pests, fire, and the elements. The designs featured in this corporate brochure are a true testament of the innovation of the Lustron home and serve as a reminder of the development of prefab housing.Lustron Corporate Brochure – Seven House Designs
Lustron Corporate Brochure – Seven House Designs
The Lustron home saw the shift of America’s housing solution from wood-frame construction to 500,000 steel homes in a matter of 15 years. This sudden shift in the housing industry was a tiny introduction to the mobile home industry. Mobile homes were much larger than the steel-constructed Lustron homes and eventually evolved into postmodern mini-houses. These mini-houses provided the opportunity for home buyers to customize and style their homes in an unique way, rather than being constricted to the company’s Lustron design.From Lustron to Postmodern: Mobile Home Evoltuion
From Lustron to Postmodern: Mobile Home Evoltuion
Penn State University showcased a Lustron Reinvented Project in 2010 that put the classic steel house into Lego form. For 4 months this exhibit was displayed and open to the public, demonstrating the innovative and creative design that was the Lustron Home. Residents and visitors who attended the exhibition were able to observe Lego and other modern-day building materials to construct a three-dimensional replica of a Lustron Home. This unique design had people talking and started the conversation of the evolution of the Lustron Home thanks to creative minds.
Lustron Home Design in Lego Form: From Penn State’s Prefab House Exhibit
Lustron Home Design in Lego Form: From Penn State’s Prefab House Exhibit
Marshall Monahan was a teacher of graphic arts and business advertisement when he purchased the illustrious post WWII Huston model of a Lustron Home. The two story dwelling initially started as Marshall’s summer residence, but he soon moved in full time. With just seven rooms and plenty of porcelain-enameled steel, Marshall was able to transform the historic home into a model of modernism. His creative outlook demonstrates how this one of a kind home can impact its featured environs.The Post WWII Huston Model: A Lustron Home
The Post WWII Huston Model: A Lustron Home
Located in New Jersey, there is a unique Lustron Home built in 1948, that features a distinct porcelain-enameled steel exterior and some incredible features such as its rounded moderne entrance. This modernized construction has basic amenities and resides on a 0.25 acres of land. On the inside, one can find mid-century charm with plenty of windows to let in the light. Images from this home reveal the sleek, clean, and efficient design of a Lustron Home making it an object of admiration for past or potential future owners.Images from a Lustron Home in New Jersey
Images from a Lustron Home in New Jersey
What is a Lustron House Plan?
A Lustron house
plan
is a prefabricated steel dwelling made in the 1940s, designed as a solution to the housing shortages of postwar America. With its sleek Technicolor exteriors and efficiency-focused design, the homes offered real estate solutions to young professionals and growing families, but production ceased in the early 1950s due to high costs.
The History of the Lustron Houses
The Lustron Corporation, founded in 1947, was established to address the nation’s need for quality housing in the wake of World War II. More than four million veterans returned home, many of them looking for homes they could afford. The idea was to provide an affordable, "modern" prefabricated home in a variety of attractive designs. The initial cost of a Lustron home could range from $7,900 to $9,800, installments could be paid off in less than a decade.
Lustron House Plans and Product Offerings
The Lustron Corporation offered two main products – the Westchester Deluxe and the Stratford. The Westchester Luxury model was and remains the most popular Lustron house plan because of its 2,085 square feet of living space, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The smaller Stratford model offered a more scaled-down version of the Westchester with 1,550 square feet, two bedrooms, and one bathroom. Lustron houses were also available in a variety of two-tone exteriors and could be customized with porches, carports, and other additions.
Lustron Home Design Features
The models featured
steel siding
, built in furniture, and stainless steel appliances. The exterior consisted of porcelain enameled steel panels and roof in a variety of colors, giving the homes a distinctive and modern look. The interior of the houses featured acrylic enameled walls and porcelain-on-steel kitchens that allowed for a built in refrigerator and kitchen cabinets. The living space was efficient and included built in furniture, such as the “blush bench” that doubled as a sofa and bunk beds.
Today, Lustron homes are enjoying newfound appreciation for their design and historical significance. As the homes head into their eighth decade, the plans remain in demand and can be purchased for restoration or renovation. Lustron houses remain an iconic piece of Americana and a reminder of how architecture has evolved since the 1940s.
