Blue Lustron Home on Lawndale Avenue

This blue house on Lawndale is a Lustron home. According to the Lustron Connection, a Lustron is a home with steel and poreclain exterior panels, steel framing, steel interior walls and ceiling. Carl Strandlund founded the Lustron Corporation in a former aircraft plant in Columbus Ohio after World War II. Approximately 2,500 of the homes were produced at a cost of approximately $7,000. They were designed to be maintenance free as well as rodent, fire, rust, and lightening proof!  They were originally sold in blue, blue-green, gray, tan, and yellow, the common colors, and green and pink, the rare colors.

According to the data base of the Lustron Registry, this house at 2302 Lawndale Drive is one of less than 200 blue Lustrons remaining. It is one of two remaining in Greensboro. A gray one is on Delwood Drive, also on the borders of Kirwood and Irving Park neighborhoods. A gray one on Myers Lane was torn down in 2000. At last count, thirty nine remain in North Carolina. 

In our quest to photograph Lustron homes throughout the United States, we are learning that many of them are in poor condition. As original owners moved on to bigger houses, many Lustrons were converted to rental property. Some have had siding placed over the original exterior walls! There are several websites related to these homes covering topics from statistics to testimonials about living in them. Have you seen one? Do you have one in your neighborhood? Do you live in one? Tell us about it today. 

   

Comments

[Steve in NC]

I really enjoy your daily photo feature. I get it through we101.

The one that stands out in my mind lately is the News & Record photo.

Its obvious that photography is an art and science. There's definitely something to it.

[David Burke]

I'm impressed with the research you did on these houses. Interesting what builder's and thinkers will come up with for materials.

[Jane Mitchell]

Interesting to learn about Lustron Homes. I noted that their homepage has these same steel frames as its background. Too bad that the founder of these popular homes, a Mr. Strandlund, went bankrupt so soon or we might still have more of these around. I'd love to see the interior of one of them. JTM

[Greensboro Daily Photo]

How rewarding to have three North Carolina people comment today.

As a family, we love what we learn through taking the pictures, interviewing people, and researching topics (mostly through the internet). To know that people locally and elsewhere are interested, appreciative, and actually using the links makes the project all worthwhile.

Steve's comment reminds us of how different peoples' tastes in photography are. We try to provide a variety! Suggestions are encouraged!

[June]

I really enjoy your photos and stories. You bring us everything.
Keep up the good work.
June

[Peter]

Thanks for featuring this Greensboro, NC Lustron home. It looks well-maintained and in original condition.

FYI, these unique homes have been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a significant type of post-WWII residential architecture and well worth preserving. Anyone interested in Lustron history and preservation should visit www.lustronpreservation.org. The site contains an interactive and ongoing state-by-state inventory of all known Lustron homes.

There is also an active online community of Lustron owners and enthusiasts from around the country at [email protected].

Keep up the good work!

Peter
Lustron owner
Massachusetts

[Rick Allen]

The appreciation being given the Greensboro Lustrons is nice to see. Every time people photograph and post stories like this, the publicity helps to prserve these rare homes. I want also to address the discussion at the top of the page. The count of 200 remaining BLUE Lustrons does not take into account the listed Lustrons for which color information is not available. Right now 1987 Lustrons are on the list at LustronRegistry.org, but the color was only reported for about 1501. This difference happens because people submit Lustron information but often do not have or don't provide the color. Or sometimes the home has been resided and the Lustron color is not known. So there are some 480 Lustrons for which color data is not available/ was not provided.

[Rick Allen]

The appreciation being given the Greensboro Lustrons is nice to see. Every time people photograph and post stories like this, the publicity helps to preserve these rare homes. I want also to address the discussion at the top of the page. The count of 200 remaining BLUE Lustrons does not take into account the listed Lustrons for which color information is not available. Right now 1987 Lustrons are on the list at LustronRegistry.org, but the color was only reported for about 1501. This difference happens because people submit Lustron information but often do not have or don't provide the color. Or sometimes the home has been resided and the Lustron color is not known. So there are some 480 Lustrons for which color data is not available/ was not provided.

Rick Allen, Website Producer
LustronConnection.org
LustronRegistry.org

[Dina]

Very interesting. Thanks!

[Hilda]

A steel and porcelain home. Wow. I've never heard of Lustron homes before so this was fascinating! I just love learning new things. Thanks, Jan!

[Claire Watkins]

My great grandfather spent his entire savings on these houses and lived in one until the day he died (it was the rare green color). I drove by it today and coincidentally took a picture because I author a design blog. Came upon this post and thought that was an image of my grandaddy's house!! What a funny thing! The original prefab!! I hope to get the post up some time this week, I am so glad I came across your work!!

[Marty]

These houses are truly great. I am trying to decide if I should dis-assemble mine and move it 90 miles away to where I live now. The one thing I would change is take out the pass-thru in the kitchen/dining room and the wall from the dining room to the service room. Making one big living/dining/kitchen. Who knows, wish me luck.