norgeway
Well-known member
Does anyone here have any stories about Lustron homes, Donald has gotten interested in them recently and so of course I have too, an all metal porcelein enameled house sounds GOOD to me!!
Lustron Homes!
- Thread starter norgeway
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There is a great article about Lustron Homes in the recent edition of Atomic Ranch magazine and more information online about them.
If you order one, make sure to get the Thor dishwasher-washer electric sink option!
If you order one, make sure to get the Thor dishwasher-washer electric sink option!
They met a sad fate. In a paradox of bad times making for bad results, the building unions got legislation passed against them in almost any locality where a group of them were planned to be built. Since all of the plumbing and electrical work was already built into the buildings, they were often ruled as not up to local codes. In a time when many people were out of work, especially in the construction trades, they did take away jobs. On the other hand, they did offer modern, low-cost construction that would have provided upgraded residences for many.
The porcelain did chip which led to rusting.
There was one in Greenbelt and inside it sorta reminded many of the inside a submarine with all of the then revolutionary fluorescent lighting sort of builtin.
Hobart Corporation was a big builder of these steel homes.
The porcelain did chip which led to rusting.
There was one in Greenbelt and inside it sorta reminded many of the inside a submarine with all of the then revolutionary fluorescent lighting sort of builtin.
Hobart Corporation was a big builder of these steel homes.
dynaflow
Well-known member
web site
www.lustronconnection.org
www.lustronconnection.org
Home Page For Lustron Connection
Home Page For Lustron Connection
I go past one of these Lustron homes somewhat often. It's located on OH725 (Franklin St. aka Miamisburg-Centerville Rd.), a few blocks West of downtown Centerville, OH.
Until 3 or 4 years ago, it was the original yellow color; however, at that time it was painted an orange shade. Some kind of business is in there currently.
Another one is in Lynchburg, OH; not sure of the street. It's either blue or gray.
Until 3 or 4 years ago, it was the original yellow color; however, at that time it was painted an orange shade. Some kind of business is in there currently.
Another one is in Lynchburg, OH; not sure of the street. It's either blue or gray.
polkanut
Well-known member
There is one here in Wausau, on the SE side of town. It currently looks a little tired and worn, but it wouldn't take much to spruce it up IMO.
Once upon a time I considered buying one in Birmingham. I believe that was back in 1985. Anyway, I made the mistake of going to look at it in the dead of winter and the house was vacant, with no working utilities. Needless to say, it was COLD in that house. I loved the mid-century innovation of the house but just couldn't get past the feeling that it could never get warm. As I think back I believe it still had the radiant heat system in the ceiling (basically closed-loop forced air system housed between steel panels in the ceiling) and it was a slab-on-grade house, probably with no form of insulation under the slab. I have maintained my fascination with the houses and their history but never really considered buying one.
Lawrence
Lawrence
Hi Hans, the Lustron homes have always fascinated me, both the design and also the history of the company and its demise. There are a few areas of the country where several were built, one of which is in Northern Virginia. There are about six of them still in Arlington County (plus one that was donated to the County but which the County had to remove from the property, and so they disassembled it and have it in storage and put on occassional display). A sad story is that there were over 50 of them built as housing on the Quantico Marine base in Northern Virginia, but which were to be removed a few years ago. They were out for bid solicitation, to remove them, but removing them for reassembly on your lot would be expensive, as I recall that there is asbestos used in them, therefore extra care and cost for deconstruction. Not sure how close you are to New Bern, NC, but there are at least two there, one of which I toured on a house tour last year. Very cool, but they are small by today's standards... even to a modest home, let alone to a mcmansion!
philr
Well-known member
There were a few other threads about these homes here.
Here's one:
www.automaticwasher.org
Here's one:
Too good to be true??
I came across this on the NY (Catskills) craigslist. Is this for real?? I read somewhere that the Lustron homes featured a dishwasher, but a dual-purpose clothes/dish washer (à la Thor)?? Very curious to know if anyone here ever heard of this...
www.automaticwasher.org
norgeway
Well-known member
looked at three
this weekend one in winston-salem 20 miles from home and two in greensboro about 45 miles from home they all looked good on the outside, one not as nice as the others... BTW this is donald not hans this time.
this weekend one in winston-salem 20 miles from home and two in greensboro about 45 miles from home they all looked good on the outside, one not as nice as the others... BTW this is donald not hans this time.
I'm sure it's not news to many that Minneapolis is home to more that a few of these homes. Everyday on my way to work I pass by 6 of them on the East side of the 5100 block of Nicollet Ave. S. i am told there are also a number of them over on Cedar Ave. S. Some day i will have to investigate those....
westingman123
Well-known member
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- Jun 24, 2009
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St. Louis
has several of these in small clusters. Most of the original White Castle restaurants were Lustron, but sadly they are being razed and replaced with ugly new "castles".
has several of these in small clusters. Most of the original White Castle restaurants were Lustron, but sadly they are being razed and replaced with ugly new "castles".
New Bern,NC is about 20 miles south of me.
whirlcool
Well-known member
White Castle has a division named "Porcelain Steel Buildings"(1937) to manufacture their own restaurant buildings.
Read the "News & Information" on the linked page. The company is still in business today.
Read the "News & Information" on the linked page. The company is still in business today.
I visited one. Yuk.
Here was one case where vintage didn't float my boat.
An estate sale was in Riverside, Illinois in a Lustron home. Had to go.
The house was small with a cold, clammy feel about it. Fun to experience once but that was enough.
The "updated" wiring in that house was run on the surface of the interior walls. It used those metal wiring channels like you see in institutions and commercial applications. It just made it uglier.
Everything was gray, gray, gray. Blech.
If you like feeling like you live in a filing cabinet - go for it!
Here was one case where vintage didn't float my boat.
An estate sale was in Riverside, Illinois in a Lustron home. Had to go.
The house was small with a cold, clammy feel about it. Fun to experience once but that was enough.
The "updated" wiring in that house was run on the surface of the interior walls. It used those metal wiring channels like you see in institutions and commercial applications. It just made it uglier.
Everything was gray, gray, gray. Blech.
If you like feeling like you live in a filing cabinet - go for it!
Interesting thread........I just came across homes built out of storage/shipping containers....and rather unique I think......
check out the link.....
check out the link.....
