Another built-in I've never seen...

[twintubdexter]

...look at this, a 1957 built-in Westinghouse refrigerator for sale in Los Alamitos ( Southern California) on Craigslist...$100...sort of like the very common GE
(sorry, I still can't post links)

This refrigerator really works! This "Custom Westinghouse" refrigerator was original to our house built in 1957 and was installed above cabinetry. It features side by side doors (freezer on the left). The right door has three specialized bins including a crisper and a cheese and butter compartment. This would be a great conversation piece or addition to a retro kitchen

 

[twintubdexter]

no comments about this refrigerator?

looks like my posting was a dud

 

[revvinkevin]

Here is the link Joe........

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/app/1497006518.html

 

[spiralator60]

Built-in Refrigerators

This unit looks familiar, for some reason. It may have been under another brand, though definitely not GE or Westinghouse, that this model is standing out in my mind. The refrigerator line that I am thinking about is at least a few years later than 1957.

What is clearer to me is that this was akin, at the time, to the built in refrigerators that we think about today, such as the Sub-Zero brand. It was not uncommon to see something like this in the premium model home displays, but rarely anywhere else. Does anyone else remember?

Throughout the 1960s there was a campaign by Southern California Edison touting "Gold Medallion Homes" and the fact that they only used electricty as a (clean) power source. There were a lot of stylish electric major appliances showcased in print (newspaper and magazine) advertising, as well as in product endorsement in television and movies. This was a direct swipe at the Gas Company, which was fighting right back with its product ads featuring equally stylish gas household appliances.

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/app/1497006518.html

 

[danemodsandy]

Gold Medallion Homes:

OMG - haven't thought of those in years. In Georgia, the local electric company pushed hard for total electric, giving a discount to total electric houses and giving newly-built ones the medallion.

Came the energy crisis of the '70s - electric rates went wayyyyyyy up, and Georgia Power dropped the discount.

Suddenly, there were a lot of peculiar little unfaded patches on houses where their medallions had been - total electric had become a liability instead of a selling point, overnight. I don't think I've even seen one of the medallions in thirty-five years.

 

[danemodsandy]

Here's One of the Little Devils...

They were usually mounted on the house's siding, next to the front door - this was not a status symbol for the subtle:

 

[petek]

Very nice fridge. In reality you'd need a lot of kitchen for those I think or be willing to give up valuable cupboard space.

Re the Gold Medallian Homes,, another problem with them at least the ones in Canada so I'll assume the US ones as well is that they were mostly wired with aluminum rather than copper so of course they all need to be totally rewired at one point. Up the street from me are about 5 Gold Medallians and the few I know living in them have all had forced air gas heating and central air installed and done away with the lectric heat.

 

[jamiel]

I think there were 2 different badges..."full housepower" and "total electric"....we had a "full housepower" badge on our house number which was lit up by two tiny light bulbs (natch) and had a built-in nightlight with outlet (natch) in the main hallway. The house was built with Youngstown cabinets, Youngstown/Tappan built in electric cooking, and we had an electric dryer (but gas heat/water). Built in 1959 in St. Louis, MO

 

[tomturbomatic]

REVCO was a manufacturer of built-in refrigeration, stacked or side-by-side refrigerator-freezer units. They were a little more commercial looking and had more usable capacity. The ones I saw had stainless steel doors.