Lustron Houses - Triangle Modernist Houses - America's Largest Archive of Residential Modernist Design

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LUSTRON HOUSES

Carl Strandland, left, asked President Truman's Reconstruction Finance Committee (RFC) in the summer of 1946 for $15 million worth of emergency loans to build small houses, ostensibly for GIs returning from the war effort. Strandland was not an architect, but his idea that metal neighborhoods could be prefabricated and swiftly built persuaded the President's Commission into signing the loan 15 minutes before its emergency powers expired. The "Lustron" has affectionately come to be known as "the post-war" house.

To manufacture the ten tons of steel that went into each two-bedroom Lustron, Strandland bought a 25-acre factory lot in Columbus OH which had been used during WWII to build fighter planes. Strandland went back to the government for two more loans totaling another $25 million. A few years and only about 3,000 Lustrons later, the company was repossessed by the RFC in February of 1950 and declared bankruptcy a number of months later.

There was a three bedroom model along with the two bedroom Westchester. Lustron also made a smaller Newport model, in both two- and three-bedroom versions, but there are none in North Carolina.

The largest Lustron collection in the world was at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia, photo below. According to Lustron expert Tom Fetters, there were 60 units with serial numbers between #200 and #300. Two of the houses are still preserved on the Base, 23 were demolished in 2006, 1 was moved, and remaining 34 were demolished in 2007.

The Lustrons were given individual serial numbers. Demonstration House #1 was built in New York City (at 56th street, now destroyed) and house #2 in Milwaukee WI. The first house for public sale was #18 in St. Louis MO.

According to Lustron Corporation documents prepared in late 1949, 39 Lustron Homes were sold within the state of North Carolina, however through various sources we found many more, listed below.

Many thanks to Tom Fetters for his generous assistance and extensive knowledge.

1940? - 400 Kenan Street West, Wilson NC. Sold in 1979 to current owner James and Mary Williams, Jr. Destroyed. The lot was for sale December 2010. Photo by Val Glaser. Wilson County property records list the building as 1940 -- which is impossible as Lustrons were not in production at that time.

1941? - 400 North Carolina Avenue NW, Wilson NC. Sold in 1978 to Katherine Russell Barnes. Sold in 2005 to SRT Investments. Now a rental house. According to Tom Fetters, there are reportedly 17 more in Wilson. Photos by Val Glaser. Wilson County property records list the building as 1941 -- which is impossible as Lustrons were not in production at that time.

1946 - The Hugh G. and Sarah (Sally) Noffsinger House, approximately 1630 Country Club Road, Wilmington. Sold in 1975 to Hugh Noffsinger Jr. Sold in 1992 to Frank H. and Alison F. Bernhart. They gave the house ((not the land) to Historic Wilmington, who gave it away to Al vin O. and Donnalee Frega in March of 1992. They moved it to 5724 Sidbury Road, Castle Hayne NC, bottom photo. Sold in 2000 to current owners Jack L. and Elizabeth I. James. Top photo by Gray Laughridge. Middle photo of Frega inside the house by Todd Sumlin.

1948 - 2302 Lawndale, Greensboro NC. Sold to P. J. and Alice Attayek. Sold in 1990 to current owner Frances C. Roberson.

1948 - 1404 Virginia Street, Durham. Sold to Hilda M. Parrish. Sold in 1999 to current owner Margaret Radzwiller.

1948 - The Stern/Callahan House, 2103 Dellwood Drive, Greensboro NC. Sold in 1949 to R. E. McCoy. Sold in 1953 to John R. Thomas. Sold to Patrick McDaid. Sold between 1987 and 1991 to Karen L. Moorefield and Vivian Riddle. Sold in 1993 to current owner Karen L. Moorefield. Rental house. Was on the market in 2009. Second photo by Nancy Sidelinger.

1949 - 201 Brookwood Avenue, Wilmington NC. Bottom photo by Hugh Morton. In 1987, a large addition was built in the back. Sold to John Yocom. Current owner the Yocom Family Irrevocable Trust. According to Tom Fetters, there are four more in Wilmington.

1949 - The George and Jessie Morris House, 3690 Buffaloe Road, Raleigh. Part of Gotno Farm. Belonged to George Morris until 1988. Photo by Dean Jeffrey. Needs verification, may be 3612 Buffaloe.

1949 - The Henry B. and Louise M. Keir House, 2120 Sprunt Avenue, Durham. Addition in 1957, plus a carport. Sold in 2000 to Harvey S. and Olivera Finn. Sold in 2009 to current owner Deborah Chay, who removed the carport and completely renovated the addition. Video on the renovation. Bottom three photos by Tad Davis.

1949 - #1974, The Colonel Rambeau House, 2421 Perkins Road, Durham. Added a garage. Sold to the Mitchells. Sold in 1957 to Charles Albert (Al) Hilliard who added the back room and bath and then joined it to the garage. According to Hilliard, "I had it converted to gas heat and made a number of changes. I also devised a method for air conditioning and put it in. The house has no load bearing walls and the rooms can be changed. There is a panel on the far left end of the house that can be removed and the entire house taken down piece by piece. The house was ahead of it's time." Sold in 1977 to Sarah Titus. Added on a fireplace. Sold in 1993 to Herbert F. and Jane Crovitz. Sold in 1999 to current owners Jean P. Berry and Jean T. Berry.

1949 - The Hubert and Laura Neville House, 109 Stephens Street, Chapel Hill. Sold in 1949 to Lonas A. and Elizabeth R. Williams. Sold in 1967 to Robert D. and Phyllis Verhalen. Sold in 1973 to Elizabeth Beleny. Sold in 1984 to Daniel Sobotka. Sold in 1988 to the Clark C. Burritt family. Sold in 1994 to current owner Julie Bond-Meers. Photo by Matt Jones.

Probably 1949 - 1821 Ebert Road, Winston-Salem NC. Sold in 2006 to current
owners Jean and Elizabeth Smith. Moved here from another location, not sure when.

About late 1949 or early 1950 - 1811 Glendale Avenue, Durham. Owned at one time by the Honeycutts. This is a three-bedroom unit. Current owner Nathan Forrest Daniels, Trustee.

1950 - #683 or #704, 1415 Rhem Avenue, New Bern NC. Current owner Buck Loy.

1950 - The Fred and Hazel M. Crouch House, 1733 Brooks Avenue, Raleigh. Reported incorrectly on other Lustron websites as 1731 Brooks. Sold in 1965 to Edith Hobgood. Sold to Oliver and Mildred Hobgood. Sold in 1977 to Robert L. Henline, Jr. Sold to 1978 Frances Wilson. Given to her heirs in 1994. Sold in 1994 to Walter James Miller. Destroyed in Hurricane Fran. Sold to Creech Construction in 1999, who built a new house, bottom photo.

1950 - 606 Pinecrest, Carthage NC. Has a wood addition, carport and pool.
Went on the market May 2009. According to Tom Fetters, there is one more Lustron in Carthage.

1950 - 26 Warlick, Jacksonville NC. Sold in 1992 to current owner Jimmie Sawyer.

1950 - #659, 310 Oakdale Street, Gastonia NC. Several owners. Sold in 1988 to Roger E. Nix. Sold in 1997 to Anthony and Marietta Kithcart. Sold in 2005 to Felisha N. Jones. Went into foreclosure. Sold in 2008 to Cathy H. Allen. Renovated, was for sale 2009-2011.

1950 - The Paul Edwin Pickett House, 2821 Van Dyke, Raleigh. Sold in 1965 to RW and Betty Jean Strobel. Sold in 1978 to Dennis Ducker. Sold in 1992 to Rachel Pattishall. Destroyed in 1997 hurricane. Replaced by new house in 1998, bottom photo.

1951 - The Bruce and Pauline Porter House, 1700 Banbury, Raleigh. Sold in 1977 to Frank and Francoise Hansberger III. Sold in 1978 to current owner Michael H. Palmer. Destroyed 1998 for a new house, bottom photo.

1952 - #2208, 1906 Glendale, Durham. Sold to Hazel Parrish. Current owner Yance T. Parrish.

1952 - The Ashby and Gladys Rice House, 406 Yarmouth, Raleigh. Sold in 1969 to Kurt and Maren Leonard. Sold in 1974 to John and Sandra Irving. Top photo from 1995. Added a 2-story addition with garage and guest house.

1950 - The J. Lewis and Evelyn Allison House, 409 Yarmouth, Raleigh. Sold to the Allisons by the Jones-Whitehead Homes of Wilson NC, H. G. Whitehead (President). Sold in 1954 to Cyrus and Carolyn King. Sold in 2005 to Adam Lichtin. Sold later in 2005 to Russell Builders. Sold later in 2005 to current owner James Betts. The Lustron was destroyed and replaced with a new house, bottom photo, in 2006.

Year unknown - #1219, 208 East Fifth Street, Tabor City NC.

Year unknown - #1483, 210 Cromwell, Tarboro NC. Photo by Lawrence Auld. Owner Edward Marrow.

1950 - 1325 Sunset, Rocky Mount NC. Photos by Lawrence Auld.
Was for sale in 2010 and 2011.

Year unknown - 900 Sunset, Rocky Mount NC. Sold in 1976 to Robert D. White who destroyed it for a medical office building, above. Sold in 1979 to Hazelbelle P. White. Sold in 1988 to William R. and Sarah F. and Jones. Sold in 2008 to current owners Lake North LLC. Photo above is as of May 2010.

Year unknown - 918 Eastern Avenue, Rocky Mount NC. Photo by Lawrence Auld.

Year unknown - #2417, 1716 Trent Boulevard, New Bern NC.

Year Unknown - 412 South Deans Street, Wilson NC. Sold in 1985 to D. Stuart and Starlette Walson. Destroyed, and replace with the house, bottom photo. Sold April 2010 to Scott Benson of Benson Rentals. Bottom photo by Val Glaser.

Late 1949 or 1950 - North Dennis Street, Enfield NC. Photo by Dean Jeffrey.

1953 - The Federico G. Gil House, 5 Mount Bolus Road, Chapel Hill. Rebuilt with a two-story addition on the right side. Sold in 1996 to current owner Edgardo R. Garcia. Now a rental house.

1953 - 7 Mount Bolus Road, Chapel Hill. Sold to Edward and Alta Stringhan. Sold in 1996 to current owners James and Edith McEntyre. According to Tom Fetters, the Lustron was disassembled in June 1997 and a new house built.

Year unknown - 70 Hampden Road, Asheville. Three-bedroom unit.
According to Tom Fetters, there is one more Lustron in town.

Year unknown - 604 North Main Street, Louisburg NC.

Year unknown - #2144, 603 West Street, Pittsboro NC. Owners Kelly & John McCollum.

Year unknown - 425 Credle Street, Pittsboro NC.

1949 - #1849, The J. Clarence and Irene Beal House,107 South Collins Street, Nashville NC. Three-bedroom unit. Sold in 2005 to the current owner, Nashville United Methodist Church. Photos by Wallace Abernethy. Slated for demolition April 2011.

Year unknown - 611 North Jefferson Street, Goldsboro NC.
Has been extensively added onto, as shown above.

Year unknown - 617 Myers, Greensboro NC. Destroyed 2000. A new house,
shown above, was built on the site in 2001.

Year Unknown - 1800 block of East Ash Street, Goldsboro NC. Destroyed.

1949 - The Edward and Betty Bass house, 104 North Hilliard Street, Nashville NC. Sold around 1958 to Earl Waters. Currently owned by Jonathan Boulden.

Year unknown - According to Tom Fetters, there is a third Lustron in
Nashville NC, #2127. Three bedrooms.

Year unknown - one in Dunn NC, according to Tom Fetters.

Year unknown - 175 Page Road, Pinehurst NC. Owner John Deacon.

Year unknown - 1204 Broad Street, Durham. Needs verification.

Year unknown - 1132 West Vernon Avenue, Kinston NC. Owner Betty Bryan.
Need verification, may be destroyed.

Year unknown - 6312 South Maplewood Street, Pleasant Garden NC.

Years unknown - 5 to 7 Lustrons, all now destroyed, on Lustron Drive in Raeford NC. The addresses were 1 Lustron Drive, 2 Lustron Drive, etc. Built as housing for employees of the nearby McCain Tuberculosis Sanatorium (designed by Carter Williams). When that closed, the building was converted to a prison facility, McCain Correctional Hospital. That complex closed in April 2010.

Year unknown - #1732, 1300 East Fourth Street, Greenville NC. Has a garage addition.
Owners Jeffrey Tant & Judy Tant.

Sources include: The Lustron Home by Thomas (Tom) Fetters, Wikipedia, Lustron Registry, Val Glaser,
Lustron Preservation, Lustron Connection, Yahoo Lustron Group, Lustron.org, “House of Steel’s Price a Steal” by Andrea Shaw, Wilmington NC Morning Star, 3/10/1992.