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Lustron House

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c. 1940. 216 Richmond Dr.
  • (Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, A Division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, Ralph Wilcox, photographer)
  • (Hans Johnson)
  • (Hans Johnson)
  • (Hans Johnson)

Lustron houses were prefabricated porcelain-enameled steel residences manufactured after World War II. Weather resistant, vermin proof, and virtually maintenance free, Lustrons were built in at least thirty-two states and the District of Columbia. The Lustron Company, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, began production in 1948. Each house had approximately 3,300 parts. Although the construction system garnered a lot of attention, only around 2,500 were built. Five are known to have been built in Arkansas, but only three are thought to remain (this one and one each in Little Rock and North Little Rock). This one-story house, with exterior and interior enameled steel panels attached to a steel frame, is set on a concrete slab foundation and featured built-in cabinets and appliances. Lustron houses were produced in two- and three-bedroom models, and the exteriors were available in four colors. This house remains in excellent condition, proving the durability of its materials. The carport, added later, is finished in stucco that is scored to mimic the porcelain panels.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Cyrus A. Sutherland with Gregory Herman, Claudia Shannon, Jean Sizemore Jeannie M. Whayne and Contributors
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Data

Timeline

  • 1939

    Built

What's Nearby

Citation

Cyrus A. Sutherland with Gregory Herman, Claudia Shannon, Jean Sizemore Jeannie M. Whayne and Contributors, "Lustron House", [Helena-West Helena, Arkansas], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/AR-01-PH11.

Print Source

Cover: Buildings of Arkansas

Buildings of Arkansas, Cyrus A. Sutherland and contributors. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2018, 252-252.

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