Live in a Piece of History in This Lustron Home: 243 N. Garfield in Lombard
This 2-bedroom single family home at 243 N. Garfield in Lombard may not look like something special from the street but it is among a select group of prefabricated houses called “Lustrons” that were built in 1948-1950 in mostly the eastern half of the United States.
Sold to middle class homebuyers as being on the cutting edge of construction, they are low maintenance as they are made entirely of stainless steel.
The marketing brochure called the Lustrons: “Planned for ideal living for a family who enjoy modern things to the utmost.”
Only 2680 of the homes were produced by 1950 before the factory shut down.
According to the Lustron Preservation web site, only about 1500 remain today. And, apparently, a good number of them are in the Chicago area, including in Westmont, Hinsdale, Park Ridge and a bunch in Lombard, including this one at 243 N. Garfield.
There were 4 different models.
This home on Garfield is the Westchester Deluxe model in surf blue. The Westchester was apparently the most popular model.
It was a “deluxe” model because it included the Thor dishwasher-clotheswasher combination, among other things.
Here are some specs from the Lustron Preservation web site.
Deluxe 2 and 3 Bedrooms (Models 02/03)
- Features: These models offer “many deluxe features including built-in bookshelves, bedroom vanity-storagewall, eleven closets and overhead storage cabinets, oil or gas radiant panel heating, Thor dishwasher-clotheswasher combination, china cabinet passthrough, large picture windows, large service and storage area,” a bay window, and floor tile. Kitchen wall panels are 2 feet square.
Unfortunately, there are NO interior pictures with this listing (darn!). So we don’t know what historical features remain.
The house is only 1085 square feet. It does not have central air (window units only.)
The listing says the house is “steps” from downtown Lombard and near the train.
On the market since January 2009, it has been reduced $95,000.
It is currently listed $5,000 below the 1999 purchase price.
Christopher Hart at ABA National Realty has the listing. See the listing and exterior picture here.
243 N. Garfield: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1085 square feet, 1 car garage
- Sold in December 1999 for $130,000
- Sold in June 2004 for $200,000
- Sold in July 2005 for $228,000
- Originally listed in January 2009 for $220,000
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $125,000
- Taxes of $4350
- No central air
- Bedroom #1: 12×14
- Bedroom #2: 12×12
Watch a great video all about a Lustron in Virginia here.
“Sold to middle class homebuyers as being on the cutting edge of construction, they are low maintenance as they are made entirely of stainless steel.”
LOL this sounds like = manufactured home.
The fact that there is a preservation site for this junk doesn’t mean the pig becomes Miss America after applying copious amounts of lipstick.
The suburb of St. Louis I spent my late adolescence in had a couple of these side by side on one of its shabbier streets. One was yellow and one was gray-blue. Both were hideous.
They’re an interesting reminder of the modernist mentality of the 50s, that wanted to package people up into neat, prefabricated little boxes that allowed for no exercise of personal taste or quirks. We were going to package all the middle income people in prefabricated boxes like this out in the suburbs and all the poor people in boxy soviet-style high rises just outside downtown. This was an age and mentality that considered purely decorative elements to be corrupt, remember. “Efficiency” was the code word here- thus the small rooms and the metal walls you couldn’t hang pictures on.
At least a couple of examples of these ludicrous things have been preserved here and there already, for the purposes of architectural history, or maybe as an example of how not to build. We don’t need anymore.
Steel: is rust a problem?
“Steel: is rust a problem?”
That’s why it’s made of **stainless** steel, ed.
My cousin rented a metal home like this in A.H. In the early 80’s. It was pretty small and in poor shape but we thought it was cool as he had everything hanging by magnets on the wall. He used to threaten to put us in a special powerful magnet suit and hang us to the wall. The only thing that gave it away was that he claimed that the suit was stored in the basement. I quickly realized that there was no basement!
A “Lustron preservation group” really. Why? I wonder if they share meeting space with the DeLorean owners club.
Wow, I grew up a few blocks from there and never noticed this place. I’ll have to swing by on the next trip and check it out.
How is the neighborhood? Lombard generally?
crazy history lesson Sabrina. never even knew this existed.
so what is the lesson we learned here today kids???
BTW, i am under the impression that metal is not a insulator more of a conductor?
OMG i want a THOR so bad now. i can just picture it now. “honey where is my pink dress?”, “its in the kitchen on the drying rack”, “honey why is there a chicken bone stuck to my strap?”, “i thought i can save time doing both at once, just dont ask what happen to your bra’s and the wedding china”
“LOL this sounds like = manufactured home.”
Yes- Bob. The homes were made in a factory and shipped to the location where you then built it according to the specs. They were prefabricated (not too much different from the Sears homes.) They were the precursors to the pre-fab houses you can still buy today (which are very popular on the west coast.)
EJ: As far as suburbs go, Lombard is definitely one of them.
I give them props for trying to revitalize the St. Charles ‘downtown’ strip there with cafes, pubs etc. For awhile there the teardown craze was pretty amazing with the sizes of homes being put up for the school districts.
There are a few of these in Minneapolis and they always end up on home tours. The ones there are ranch style and the residents did use magnets to hang things on the wall.
Lombard blows, its been getting invaded Aurora style since the mid 90’s (trust me, go to the DMV sometime you’ll be like wtf!)
But it is cheap, and its sorta near Oakbrook
I knew of this housing movement as a child as both of my Grandfathers were a part of this ‘forward thinking’ movement at it’s inception. I recall hearing the Lutron stories being shared by their crew and how they attempted to use some of the same ideas in their own construction projects. My gramps still has some of the original brochures, spec sheets and even a few of the order forms. He is a member of the group dedicated to preserving the few remaining examples.
Attractive in today’s overly designed and decorated world? Maybe not, but at the time it was a fascinating and economical idea. The public did embrace the project (there was a sizable wait list when the company was forced to halt production) but a political group opposed to the idea (for no good reason) and the company forced them to close before all ordered homes were completed.
While it might seem to be outdated and unattractive today, at the time they were built they were fascinatingly unique and very much ahead of their time.
You do have to ask yourself if this type of urban housing planning would work in the present day. To me, it seems a project like this would be very popular as it could provide cost effective and obtainable housing which would, in part, put a huge damper on the ridiculous happenings in the housing market now.
Yes Bob, what you lol’ed about is true, these were manufactured/prefabricated housing. There was a huge housing shortage after the war and this was only one glimpse of how the government became involved, in a positive way, to come up with a solution. Although it was shot down quickly, there were some viable ideas used in the construction process that helped to shape the future of the housing manufacting industry.
Of course the key word at that time was ‘efficiency’…the nation was in the midst of recovering from the war and whatever could be constructed, in the most cost effective way was done. While the nation was facing several problems post war, material shortages, economic issues, etc., ideas that provided solutions were more important than being able to hang pictures on the wall. LOL for providing a good example of how fragile, demanding and nonsensical our society has become when compared to that era.
What you say about the industry attempting to package people up in prefab houses and…actually did happen. What do you think other forms of housing did? Rowhouses, bungalows, ranches, etc. all had a similar, albeit a more decorative idea behind them and they were allowed to be constructed. Every housing style has a story behind it, good or bad.
Luckily there is a group of very dedicated people who are saving the few remaining houses of this era. Once these examples are gone, there will be nothing left to show us how we got to where we did as it relates to the housing industry. Like them or not, they are a part of the industries history and they deserve to receive the small bit of attention they are.
Nothing to criticize or laugh about…
“…so what is the lesson we learned here today kids???”
Perhaps the crazy idea to do a bit of research before you put in your two cents worth and end up looking like a jack ass.
NOT neccessarily you Groove, but the posting group in general. Of all the online message boards I post on, this one is full of people who speak before they really know anything about the topic being discussed.
Information and Education are wonderful things….
Sonies: I’ve thought of Lombard as a great boundary / mixing of classes. Being very vertical (on a north/south oriented map), it’s the layer between Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Downers Grove and Villa Park, Willowbrook, Addison.
Completely over generalizing, but in this general strip more cash on the west than on the east. Not really trying to defend my hometown but as I was there this past Sunday hanging with the p’s, I can say I actually marveled at the slow pace of sitting out in the lawn and having only 2 people walk by.
There are lots of people around the U.S. trying to revitalize the pre-fab housing movement using green-design principles. Here is a link to an exhibit that was at the Walker Art Museum a few years ago that explored the new designs:
http://design.walkerart.org/prefab/
“Here is a link to an exhibit that was at the Walker Art Museum a few years ago that explored the new designs:”
No shipping container houses; sure, not exactly “prefab”, but interesting.
Aren’t a lot of the houses in Chicago technically “pre-fab” houses? E.g., most of the four-squares? And lots of others from that time period? Being pre-fab isn’t always bad. I’ve looked at many of those houses and many of them are quite nice.
I have no interest in this place, given that the location is completely unattractive, and the home is tiny. . .
But I wanted to chime in as the former resident of a steel home. I lived in one some time, and just have to say it was awesome.
Positives included great sound insulation, and sturdiness, but my “favorite” was the time we had a fire. The only reason we knew the fire had started was because the door to the room slammed shut from the vacuum (solid steel doors don’t slam real easy).
The fire essentially “burned out” in its own steel coffin due to lack of air. Inspector had never seen anything like it and said it would have been a total loss in most buildings. . . but here it didn’t even spread upstairs, because it couldn’t burn through the ceiling.
So hey, before you knock the steel house, think about how flimsy you average frame construction is compared to it!
(And there are some cool modern equivalents to this steel home– check out Kodiak, Rhino or IHE brands).
When the words pre-fab and manufactured are mentioned, the words trailer park come to mind, hence the negative association.
I agree with alanon, not all pre-fab homes are of inferior quality or workmanship. Some ARE quite nice.
I am surprised this idea hasn’t gained more popularity, esp in this era of overpriced units, default mortgages, fraud by banks and brokers, etc. Now would be the right time for a pre-fab comeback if a company could assure the public that their homes were constructed with high quality materials and solid craftsmanship.
I always get a kick out of some of the posts on this blog. On one hand, people complain that they don’t have enough money, and everything is too expensive, etc. Then, in the next breath, they blast and bash a house like this because it is too small or doesn’t have central air or b/c it is in a bad location. Come on, get real!!!
Lombard is one of those mythical suburbs that I’ve always heard of, but have never actually been there (or even know where to place it on the map).
It’s just fun to say “Lombard” — sounds like an ethnic insult or orthopedic deformation.
“It’s just fun to say “Lombard” — sounds like an ethnic insult or orthopedic deformation.”
I guess it rather could be–they were a barbarian tribe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombards
“…so what is the lesson we learned here today kids???”
Perhaps the crazy idea to do a bit of research before you put in your two cents worth and end up looking like a jack ass.
Guess that makes me a jackass in west loop’s eyes. Oh well I don’t think that I will lose any sleep tonight! The real issue is that the land these homes were built on improved in value significantly over the years. The homes were small and it was difficult to add an addition that had any kind of continuity. Developers or owners had few options and that is why they came down.
Perhaps the group should raise enough money to purchase the remsining homes when they are slated for tear down. They could be dismantled and rebuilt in an impoverished area that could use a well constructed durable home. If they were grouped together then you would have a living museum of Lutron homes. That would be of interest for the government officials looking for ways to produce low cost single family public housing options. Perhaps a lesson could be learned.
The real lesson learned here today is that some structures just do hold value in the long run. Blame it on many factors but the market moves on. Some things will survive and others will meet an end.
Finally crib chatter is not a graduate level housing course at Yale. It’s a public blog. Stop sounding so pompous!
“Lombard is one of those mythical suburbs that I’ve always heard of, but have never actually been there (or even know where to place it on the map). ”
You probably have been to Lombard, you just wouldn’t know it due to it being so completely unremarkable in every way. I guess it does have Enchanted Castle which was sweet back in the day
“Finally crib chatter is not a graduate level housing course at Yale.”
Wait. It’s not? So who’s been cashing my tuition checks?
“There are a few of these in Minneapolis and they always end up on home tours. The ones there are ranch style and the residents did use magnets to hang things on the wall.”
Are there any others then the ones on Nicollet?
Lombard is a middle class West ‘burb dealing with the same issues as most of the western burbs – a growing hispanic demographic. Comparing it to Aurora is absurd.
Sabrina has been cashing your checks. She is saving up to buy the Castle on the Kennedy. Seems like a fiiting home for the Queen of Crib Chatter in Chicago. Rumour has it that if she gets the place under contact Crib Chatter will immediately be renamed Castle Chatter!
“Perhaps the crazy idea to do a bit of research before you put in your two cents worth and end up looking like a jack ass”
Its a METAL after war pre-fab (paint by numbers/ikea’ish) 2/1 home that cant really be expanded or upgraded.
but your right i ALWAYS just spout off the top of my head whats there. researching anything for CC would take me away from whats important.
So ALL of my CC posts/rants are what i can type fast and at the tip of my tongue. plus as you know there is no proof reading involved.
The ones I know about are on Cedar near Lake Nokomis. From the AIA Guide to Minneapolis and St. Paul:
“A pair of prefabricated steel houses built in 1949 by the short-lived Lustron Corp. The one at 4900 Cedar Ave. S. has been remodeled, painted black…and enlarged with a rear addition. The house at 4916, renovated and restored…hews more closely to its original appearance…There’s another Lustron house on the east side of Lake Nokomis at 5217 31st Ave. S. plus seven others elsewhere in Minneapolis.”
“Are there any others then the ones on Nicollet?”
I grew up on a street in Joliet, IL that featured a variety of home styles – no two exactly alike. (My own family had a Dutch Colonial that was considered “upscale” because it actually had 1.5 baths! Believe it or not, there was a time not so long ago when TWO indoor flush potties were considered a decadent luxury!)
Anyway, among the hodgepodge of styles was a Lustron house, at 819 W. Mason Ave. It had all the typical features except that the dishwasher and clothes washer/dryer were separate features.
The original family made an addition to the rear of the home (not visible from the street so the “aesthetics” were still intact) in the 1960’s with traditional aluminum frame exterior in a color that matched the original steel. The addition contained a family room, bedroom and bath. The property was sold in the 70’s or 80’s to a family with NO sense of historical integrity; they replaced the original features with ugly flamingo-wood paneling, shag carpets, etc. Why did they bother to buy such a unique home if they were just going to make it into a generic suburban house of horrors?
Glad to see that some people actually appreciate the original qualities of the Lustron and are making them known to younger generations.
“A pair of prefabricated steel houses built in 1949 by the short-lived Lustron Corp. The one at 4900 Cedar Ave. S. has been remodeled, painted black…and enlarged with a rear addition. The house at 4916, renovated and restored…hews more closely to its original appearance…There’s another Lustron house on the east side of Lake Nokomis at 5217 31st Ave. S. plus seven others elsewhere in Minneapolis.”
Never noticed the ones on Cedar
Thanks
Wicker, what are you talking about when you say, “I give them props for trying to revitalize the St. Charles ‘downtown’ strip there with cafes, pubs etc.” Who is “them”? Giving them “props” is the last thing I’d do regarding that plan. They put the dubious plan (more condos! more townhomes! retail on the ground floors!) together at the height of the bubble, tore down some older but very stable businesses and now have a big empty space where they were, and the revitalization simply isn’t working. Wrong urban planning model for that area, in my opinion, costing way more that it will ever recover in property taxes. FEH.