The House of the Future: The Lustron House History -DeKalb History Center

What makes this small house so unique? The Neville and Helen Farmer Home, located at 513 Drexel Avenue in Decatur, was erected in the fall of 1949. Their one-story side gabled house from the Lustron Corporation had just under eleven hundred square feet of living space. They paid $10,000 for the house and lived in it for 20 years. 22 Lustron houses were built in Georgia with ten of those in the Atlanta area. Watch to learn more about this quirky home!
Read the full article here:
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Narrated and Produced by Melissa Carlson Forgey, Executive Director DeKalb History Center
Special thanks to Andrea Fremiotti for the interior and exterior photos of the Decatur Lustron House and Jeanée Ledoux for allowing access to the property.
Visit
www.decaturlustron.com for more info
Help support the DeKalb History Center by Donating Here:
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[@grandviceroyoftheempire]

Those homes are beautiful in their own way.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

They really are!

[@grandviceroyoftheempire]

@@DeKalbHistoryCenter they really have a wonderful optimism about them. A bright clean vision of what the future could be. It's a shame they were not more widespread.

[@danmason6116]

@@grandviceroyoftheempire no they are not I lived in one for 15 years my dad got the house in the divorce and as soon as he dies my brother and I are going to tear it down and laugh all the way are is blue and grey we where so embarrassed to live in the house growing up it's freezing in the winter and hotter than hell in the summer

[@grandviceroyoftheempire]

@@danmason6116 thats nice. But at least you have a house.

[@StephenVaccaro]

Super Cool. These Lustron houses I guess are the inspiration for the homes in Fallout 4.

[@mjh1706]

You nailed it.

[@dreamyjeannie3385]

I had a friend who’s grandparents lived in the first style home. It was the 60s and that house was so cool, metal walls, pocket doors, built ins everywhere. Everything was so sleek for its era. We had 2 of these homes in my small hometown in Southwest Pa, both are still maintained and occupied. Truly a little time capsule of the 1940s, and no painting, in or out.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@lindsey9728]

These are the homes featured on the suburbs of the game Fallout 4! It's exact, down to the closets and utility room.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

Love that Fallout brought so many visitors to our channel!

[@z0tw]

What is quite cool is that i never would have known about these types of homes without having played the game! I really wish that the Lustron homes were a bit safer with the products utilized to be allowed for development in todays day and age. The closest we can get are tinyhomes that can fit onto trailers and quite frankly as a taller person those just wouldnt work. Bringing back these styles of homes would prove economically brilliant, especially for folks paying ludicrous amounts of money for rent in just apartments nowadays.

[@jayneblanche3853]

Georgia resident and fallout 4 daily player here:) I really desire to go visit this place:)

[@amyheltonwalker]

There is a Lustron house in Barbourville, Ky. It’s is being used as a vacation house and is listed on Airbnb. Very nice place.

[@teresasanders4266]

We have 2 in Middlesboro Ky also.

[@Swampzoid]

It would be cool to have a whole neighborhood of these houses

[@vickileonard72]

We have one in my Iowa town & it's still beautiful. They also purchased a matching garage. I wish we could see how the inside held up. Great video

[@donovandelaney3171]

Nice house. Bring it back! Bring her back!!😡🥺💔😭🤧.

[@isacchris1]

To make all the finished parts for 27 homes a day is still an amazing achievement with an average time of 3 days to erect the structure that means one crew could build 9 a month! No matter what shortcomings these houses had you can’t argue with that kind of speed and efficiency and is still unmatched today it takes a year or longer to have a house built these days

[@caspaabriel4794]

Amazing and fascinating, the concept, features and the super low maintenance. Over 70 years ago and they look as good today as when new! Thanks so much for sharing. Kind Regards

[@erwinvb70]

They look so perfect, would have totally bought one if I would have been there at that time

[@josephgaviota]

Very interesting. It seems the "low-to-no" maintenance would be _very_ attractive to young families, and to seniors.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

Absolutely! And for seniors, single-story living sometimes becomes a very necessary aspect of a residence.

[@Kelle0284]

For all peoples.

[@tiffbeevachou108]

I would love to live in one of these when I am in my elderly years. It's well streamlined

[@russ5024]

Thank you for this mini documentary about this efficient home. A few of these home were erected in Louisiana.

[@keybyss98]

There was one in my dream city that just sold for $70,000 back in May. Had I known about it at that time, I definitely would’ve tried to dig into it. I’m so pissed I missed it! Now, I’m just waiting for it to go back on the market again, lol. I can only hope.

[@MediaWatchDawg]

Some complained the homes were as cozy as a refrigerator, with a light bulb coming on every time the front door opened.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

I read one paper that suggested they were not popular with returning soldiers because they were returning from living in Quonset huts and barracks and the Lustron House did not feel warm or particularly homey. And that the houses were triggering to the vets who suffered from "shell shock," or PTSD.

[@phil2u48]

There is a Lustro house in my hometown in N C, but it is a somewhat different model. I believe it has been put on the historical register.

[@susanmark2000]

I'd love one now.

[@tiffbeevachou108]

I saw the washer/dishwasher at the model in Columbus. It had two tubs; one for dishes and one for washing clothes. The tubs could fit one at a time under the kitchen sink. It was pretty cool

[@maybaline4757]

We had two of these in my town, one got demolished about 5 years ago, the other is in prime condition still

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

It's a shame one got demolished, but glad you still have one in mint condition!

[@thomasleahy9561]

I think there are 3 Lustron homes in my neighborhood in Illinois. 1 was JUST for sale for $54k. Desert Tan, IIRC.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

That seems like a bargain! A retro price!

[@andersdottir1111]

Wow! Houses are so cheap in the USA. I paid $356,000 for my small 2 bedroom house 25 miles from a capital city and that was considered a bargain at the time. I’m in Australia.

[@thomasleahy9561]

@@andersdottir1111 I'm in Illinois, and my 2 Bed 1 Bath with a large yard sold for $90,000.

[@andersdottir1111]

@@thomasleahy9561 gosh someone on unemployment benefits could afford those prices!

[@lauramitchell6725]

@@andersdottir1111 PLEASE don’t make a sweeping generalization about the whole country here from one comment! I’m in Pennsylvania,USA and the 1950’s house next door to me is pending sale for $289,900! (3 bedrooms but small and the house needs some work!)

[@NN-vs2eg]

I used to live in the Marietta area..brings back memories...

[@lauramitchell6725]

Norcross😊

[@relaxingsounds7652]

There are a couple of these homes in Cushing, OK. They are neat looking, although probably hard to add on to.

[@004Black]

There are six 1051 sq ft 2 bedrm, 1 bath homes. One recently sold for $156,000. There is a second one just a house away in an identical design. The one sold was done so by the original owner who assembled it in 1949.

[@paulmezhir8354]

There are at three Lustron homes located here in Niagara Falls, NY in its' north-end DeVeaux residential neighborhood. All three homes have blue exteriors and are fair-to-very well preserved.

[@T-41]

Thanks, well done.

[@chrisshaffer9820]

I've seen a house like this in Fargo ND. Thanks for the history of this unique home!

[@alladreamwedreamed]

There was one of these in my neighborhood in Allentown!

[@dsvance1]

Thank you for the short history lesson. It does matter

[@jakrol]

Love to hear more about one of the most unique trends in American housing. I own a 1961 ranch built by Alfred Campanelli in Illinois, on a slab, no basement. I have 5 closets, one in each bedroom, and two in the hallway. Most of them aren't as deep as a normal closet typically is. I think a lot of these really early kit homes from the 1940s and 1950s really knew how to maximize storage space when you had no basement, like having overhead cabinets above a closet so you can really maximize the usage of the upper level. I don't know if this trend subsided by the 1960s or what, but the homes in my neighborhood do not have such features. Basements are also somewhat rare in my particular area, which normally is strange for the north, but the area I was in used to be wetlands with peat soil that makes solid foundations hard to build.

[@chrisallen7911]

Columbia TN has one identical to this and has recently been restored. It went through a run down spell and was covered in paint in the 1970s. Today a Mid Century lover purchased it.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

That's awesome - I would never paint a house that didn't require it! It just creates a maintenance issue where there wasn't one before! At least it was probably easier to remove the paint than it would be on a stone or brick house.

[@gerardhaubert8210]

There are a couple of these still in existence in Sioux Falls, SD. They have always fascinated me

[@user-zx8de8op9l]

Great presentation, Kenosha Wisconsin has 4 of them, my friends aunt used to live in a tan one.

[@joysoyo2416]

I love them!

[@beenaplumber8379]

I can't imagine living in a steel house here in Minnesota. How do you insulate it? Steel conducts heat extremely efficiently. Any point where the frame contacts an interior and an exterior surface would be frozen in the winter. Nor can I imagine that rooftop radiant heat system being adequate here in the middle of January, when the sun is low and only shines for 9-10 hours a day. But I imagine they were pretty tornado-resistant. I wonder how hard it would be to repair storm damage?

[@sfl6307]

Thank you, that was interesting.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

Our pleasure!

[@Davett53]

2022,....I'm in Columbus, Ohio, ...........there are a few of these homes still standing. Our Historical Society, has a home in their exposition hall, supposedly as a permanent exhibit. People can walk through it. I visited it and stayed for a lecture, in 2015. I had always been fascinated with the concept. They are even more practical in 2022,....since our TVs are now smaller, & lighter,......though some people have ones that are extremely wide-screened. 1950s era TVs & phonograph systems were large and boxy, and took up a lot of space.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

If you go to the City of Whitehall, Ohio, you will see a Lustron model there as well. I believe it contains parts from 2 other homes. By the way, the former Lustron plant still stands and currently houses DSW.

[@Davett53]

@@JayYoung-ro3vuThanks!....Good to know. I didn't know the Lustron Factory building was still standing.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

@@Davett53 You're welcome. It's anecdotal information. It's the DSW facility. "Google Earth" it. Sout side of John Glenn Int'l Airport (Port Columbus).

[@chrisspain6023]

I love a l ustron house I have always wanted one

[@kyhilltophome3153]

There were three of these in a row in Indianapolis on a street I would occasionally drive.

[@bonniemoerdyk9809]

Do you remember the name of the street?

[@patquint3291]

There was one Lustron house in Columbia, MO. I always thought it was unique and beautiful. It was torn down about 15 years ago and a brick insurance office now stands on the lot.

[@Kelle0284]

Was it torn down, or just dismantled?

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

​@@Kelle0284Probably dismantled and scrapped?

[@Kelle0284]

@@JayYoung-ro3vu 😢

[@jimhall1170]

There are four of these houses in my town here in Virginia that I know of.

[@beckybramlett3515]

Wonder how much it would cost to build one in this day and age (2021) .

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

A new Lustron would cost around $10,000 for 1000 sq ft. That would not include a lot, which could range form $600-1300. You could find a comp non Lustron House for about the same. Taking inflation in consideration it would be about $110,000 in today's dollar.

[@sofiabravo1994]

@@DeKalbHistoryCenter that’s not too terrible considering a ready built traditional home same size would probably be 300,000 😒

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

​@sofiabravo1994 At last count , homes generally cost north of $125/ft2. (most recent time I checked).The number is always in flux. Lot price might be low in general too?

[@garyjackson3531]

​@sofiabravo1994 Except the price of the house doesn't include the lot, which could be anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 in most places outside of California or NY. Nor does it include assembly, as these were giant erector sets. Of course there's plumbing, electrical, site work, the concrete slab, and more. These homes were at the upper end of pricing, in their day. For reference, my parents purchased a nice 2 bedroom, one bath, one car garage home in 1961, in Central Texas. They paid $7900. a lot of money then. I sold that home in 1985 for $38,000.

[@ohger1]

I know these are slowly being razed, but I hope that a few of them can be disassembled and stored or displayed in warehouses instead of being sold for scrap metal. If I had the room on my property, I'd buy one and reassemble it here.

[@randyrhodes3934]

Mitchell SD has an entire neighborhood of these. They are in very good condition. Check them and the Corn Palace out if you are ever in that area.

[@donovandelaney3171]

Some of the houses in Fallout 4 are based on hem.

[@pauld6967]

Well done. I now know much, much more about these homes than I did before. All things considered, not a bad idea. Several tweaks to the concept and a better economic situation would've had them still being done. As it is, manufactured homes are doing well but it would be nice to have a near-zero-maintenance house.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

Thank you! :-D

[@pauld6967]

@@DeKalbHistoryCenter You're welcome.

[@wapartist]

Great video! I'm in Doraville in the Guilford Village neighborhood and have of the newer original houses. (not a Lustron obviously, but 1959 haha)

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

:-)

[@greentorm5467]

My Mother grew up in a prefab in Merseyside, UK which stood for some years. There still are prefabs in Netherton.

[@kiprandom7208]

This is my Barbie dream house

[@polyrhythmia]

There are two of these in Fort Madison, Ia.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

A 'suburb' was built of all Lustron homes on a military base in Virginia. 200-300. Government offered them for free removal. No takers so they were dismantled and scrapped for new base housing construction. There are several in Clark County, Ohio, mostly in Springfield. A couple are in Champaign County to the north. One was resored in the City of Yrbana and was on a historical home tour. Owner salvaged parts from a dismantled home in Beavercreek, Ohio.

[@TheRTM]

Thank you for not ignoring nor glossing over the racism and red lining that was rampant during this time. ❤

[@marginbuu212]

Such a cool concept but after watching the Vice video on these houses, I see why it was difficult to execute. I see the same kind of trend today with container homes. A well-built container home costs about the same.

[@jeanmeierbachtol6154]

There are at least 2 or 3 are still in Sioux Falls

[@carolyngeiger3634]

There are a few in the Lehigh Valley, PA

[@cchaffincc]

There is one of these in Albany, Georgia.

[@high5times10]

Wait wait wait. The washing machine is also the dishwasher????? I am stunned... that is so odd

[@w9gb]

About 20 years ago, 60 Lustron homes demolished located at US Marine Virginia location (Quantico?)

[@burakfxsezer]

Thanks for the great doc. and also thanks for honest and sincere "redlining" information... greetings from Türkiye...

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

Thanks for watching!

[@Dogsnark]

This is very interesting. There are still several (I believe 3) Lustron houses in Rockford, IL, and all are still lived in. I was able to see one on the interior when it came on the market some years ago. It was in fairly good condition, but past owners had made some changes that looked a bit awkward in the all-steel construction. There was some rust apparent around the edges of exterior panels, a problem noted in the video. Overall, the house remained in pretty good condition, however. You didn’t mention insulation, and I wondered about that in the house I visited. In this northern climate, an uninsulated house would be pretty unlivable, especially one made of metal! Thank you for not glossing over the racism that prevented Black families from getting into the housing market. The effects of that exclusion are still with us today.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

They were factory insulated. But no idea what the R-value was. And you are welcome.

[@ilsavankuren6511]

There are 3 of these homes in Syracuse NY.

[@ewa690]

Fireproof?

[@leenedreau5685]

There is two steel house in wadena minnesoa

[@rongendron8705]

I'm 77 & remember those late 40's & early 50's! When you consider that Lustron Houses didn't include the lot; basements, wells; plumbing & heating , etc. I don't think that it was a very good deal! "Levittown" on Long Island, NY, was built around the same time & a modest house, with lot, cost $7,000 to $9,000, in the late 40's! These same houses, now sell for at least $450,000! Let's see if you could get that, for a 70 year old Lustron home?

[@lauramitchell6725]

Of course the location is also a HUGE resale factor as Long Island is near New York City.🙄

[@cynthiaayers7696]

Not very affordable.? For a house that could last 300 years.

[@namelesssomebody2557]

But will such a concept work today?

[@Kelle0284]

The narrator sounded a bit like Trisha Takanawa.

[@samsonxon]

The dishwasher was the laundromat?!😅

[@dewder74]

Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth. LOL!

[@stevehartman1730]

Wasn't Lustron the ones who took over Tucker plant.

[@ladbeethoven9]

"Stunningly the clothes washer was also the dishwasher" no fooling?

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

Yes! I can't imagine that feature really being a labor saving device!

[@russ5024]

@@DeKalbHistoryCenter the components stored under the kitchen sink. A nice idea but was not practical.

[@jamessullivan9992]

They should of concentrated on siding and roofs

[@Olivetree68803]

Should have?

[@vitameat]

#2274...check the 2nd Empire Strikes Back channel on YT. His dad owns it and is restoring it. There is a recent video on there of the house. (St. Louis)

[@fordtruxdad5155]

I know where there's one of these that's in a now-not-so-good neighborhood. It recently got PAINTED (sloppily) and looks terrible.

[@DeKalbHistoryCenter]

I can't painting to something that was previously nearly maintenance free! The same goes for stone or brick.

[@sunfish7021]

Everyone moved to Levittown. 😂

[@sheilaspaulding8812]

I’m falling asleep! Lol the narrator needs more pep!

[@williamsealy8781]

Ok Lilith

[@MeMe-mt6xv]

I'm a history buff and and Architecture buff.... amazing how they intersect! Red lining should be taught in schools to reveal institutional racism.

[@danmason6116]

I lived in one for 15 years in Angola Indiana on east Gilmore st and my brother and I where so embarrassed to live in it we never brought people over if people would pick us up we would have them pick us up a few places down believe me they may look cool to you but they are just horrible to live in

[@jonathanhanson1608]

What does racism have do with Lustron Houses?

[@Renee60722]

These houses were a Godsend to young families, but I am furious that only white soldiers could qualify to buy them.

[@serenitypeaceandcomfort3669]

These are just so cold and uncreative and depressing. Something I'd expect to find in a communist country. IMHO.

[@kenk2306]

Inserting your opinion on a racial topic that is totally irrelevant to the Lustron story is unnecessary and obnoxious.

[@ribmeat]

its plenty relevant. you just don't like black people, ken.

[@serenitypeaceandcomfort3669]

@@ribmeat That is grossly inappropriate to accuse anyone of. And Ken was right. Enough injecting race into everything. This is a real estate video. Not a political video. Get over yourself Johanna.

[@ribmeat]

@@serenitypeaceandcomfort3669 guess what? black people buy real estate, and always have. there's your relevance! there's a history there that's not often spoken about so i appreciate this channel for spending some time on it. shame you don't like black people either :/

[@jawkneekat]

It's NOT an opinion or political to mention how these homes were marketed and who was excluded. It's history and more than relevant to the Lustron story as it relates to the G.I. bill. POC in the United States fought and sacrificed for our country and came home to an uneven playing field and obstruction to building generational wealth.

[@BlackStorm555]

Very interesting 🤔

[@collincutler4992]

Just HAD to toss in a comment about r-r-r-racism is there didnt you? I'm so sick of hearing about this shit. I'll find another Lustron documentary that doesn't fkn preach at me.