Bendix washers in Levittown

[Cybrvanr]

I've always seen the pictures and advertisments of the Levitt homes built during the early 50's. They included a host of appliances pre-installed in the new homes, including a Bendix Front-loading washer. With all the homes that he built in the northeast, I imagine there's at least a few of the Levitt-spec washers still agitating around out there somewhere! I am suprised, with a massive contract like this, that Bendix's washer business didn't survive. I guess part of it has to do with the change in contract to General Electric that occured when Levitt started building in Pennsylvania and other smaller neighborhoods south. Do any of you all have any of these old Levitt-spec Bendix machines?

Unfortunatley, William Levitt didn't build too many of his neat little homes this far south. I'd love to own one of these neat little mid-century homes, and restore it back to it's original as-built condition with taylor-made kitchen cabinets, and radiant floor heating. We do have one neighborhood of Levitt Jubilees around here built around 1958, with a 500 or so home in it...now quite the 25,000 homes the New York and Pennsylvania neighborhoods had! The problem is that the neighborhood is now a particurlarly nice place to live due to it's clientele. Maybe I'll get lucky and the neighborhood will turn around

I came across this link while looking to bring the kitchen of my more traditionally constructed postwar home back to it's origional appearance:

http://server1.fandm.edu/levittown/three/kitchen.html

 

[bpetersxx]

washer and dryer

Check out the washer and dryer

I clicked on the dot to check out the W-D to see if that was a Maytag set.It is a Maytag set but it says Whirlpool.

 

[tolivac]

Levitt built many homes in the wash DC area during the 60's sadly the quality of these was poor.They were built in the Prince Georges County of Maryland-near Capitol Heights.In fact some of these homes were so bad they would not pass inspection because of the poor quality.Levitt lost his builders license in that area.I had to fix many problems in my mom's house she bought there.A couple weird things--While redoing molding on the wall at the base of the homes staircase--I was putting on some baseboard molding and trying to nail it-they didn't faten that wall to the floor!!was something the whole wall moved!!also for the washer-(was a GE with the Mini Basket)the water supply pipe for it I had to redo twice because the washer vibration loosened the line IN the concrete slab floor causing it to leak in the floor.The third time fixed it.And they ran plumbing in front of the furnace-AC so you couldn't replace the filter-My mom had a plumber rearrange that plumbing.The Levitt homes from the 50's sounded so nice-wish he put the same quality into the 60's ones.It seems like when Levitt hired folks to build the later houses-he just handed them a toolbox and lumber and told them to build a house!!I like the features in the older homes--the newer ones you had the choice of a Westinghouse appliance package or the GE one. My mom went with GE.Some of the neighbors had the Westinghouse appliances.Wonder how those Levitt houses are today--??Come to think of it I think this was on another thread from quite a while ago.Was interesting though.I do applaud Mr Levitt for buiding a home that most folks could afford to buy in that postwar period.

 

[gansky1]

Neat site - laundry appliance accuracy notwithstanding ;-) but what a fun kitchen to have in a new house of 1958. Somewhere, I have seen pictures of the orginal Levitt kitchens with the 47-49 Bendix standard under the stairs and a cabinet model in a hall near the kitchen. Perhaps there are commercials or movies on the net someplace?

 

[foraloysius]

I did a search on the Prelinger Archives, I attached the link with the query in it, so I hope it works.

Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Texts, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

www.archive.org

 

[foraloysius]

BTW, is that blender a Nutone?

 

[laundromat]

blender

absolutely.The blender accesory was a pink triagular shape.

 

[appnut]

We had that exact same built-in nuton, and the same plastic pink triangular blender. Along with knife sharpener and meat grinder. I don't remember any other accessories--didn't get the mixer cuz mom had a sunbeam. And mom burned out the motor twice using the meat grinder to make ground roast sandwitches (yum yum, YEAH RIGHT)