Sun
Aug 19 2012
06:54 am
Lustron Steel Homes in South Knoxville
By: bizgrrl


Click on the picture for a slideshow.

Carl Strandlund, Columbus, OH, elected to build porcelain-enameled metal prefabricated homes in response to the great need for housing G.I.s and their families upon the soldiers' return from World War II.

Only 2,498 houses were built of the 20,000 homes ordered. Then the company went bankrupt. Two of these houses can be found in the beautiful Lindbergh Forest neighborhood in South Knoxville.

The initial Lustron Home, a two-bedroom, one-bath, 1000-square-foot unit, was a critical success with an efficient 31-by-35-foot floor plan and space-saving built-ins in every room. All interior and exterior surfaces were porcelain-enameled metal, from the roof, gutters and down drains to the master bedroom’s built-in vanity.

Advertised advantages included: no painting, radiant panel heating, large picture windows, one-level floor plan, built-in dishwasher-clotheswasher-sink, bookcase and china cabinets, seven large closets, vanity in master bedroom, sliding doors [pocket doors], overhead storage cabinets, kitchen ventilating fan, and more.

According to Lustron Preservation website, six Lustron Homes were built in the Knoxville area, two have already been demolished.

A Lustron Home was featured in a 2008 Museum of Modern Art exhibit.

H/T Suzy Trotta

Topics:
michael kaplan's picture

There was an article written

Submitted by michael kaplan on Sun, 2012/08/19 - 10:26am.

There was an article written on these houses several years ago in Metropulse, I think. A couple have indeed been demolished since I've been here. The one facing Chapman Highway sold by the original owner for about $27,000, if I recall. She had a neat pink Ford Maverick parked in the driveway. I did get to check out the house, and noticed that the steel kitchen had been replaced by a Home Depot job, and the radiant heating had been disconnected.

Dave Prince's picture

As much as the retro futurist

Submitted by Dave Prince on Sun, 2012/08/19 - 11:33am.

As much as the retro futurist in me likes the idea, it seems like you'd get something of a faraday cage effect from it.

Factchecker's picture

The one with the Smartcar

Submitted by Factchecker on Sun, 2012/08/19 - 12:25pm.

The one with the Smartcar looks very well done. There's also an awesome one in Sequoyah Hills. Though I've not toured it, it was featured in Metro Pulse, I think. And there was one near the intersection of Papermill and Northshore, between Westwood and I-40.

Factchecker's picture

Actually I think I like the

Submitted by Factchecker on Sun, 2012/08/19 - 12:23pm.

Actually I think I like the landscaping and lot better of the first house in the slides.

Greg Mackay's picture

Metal houses

Submitted by Greg Mackay on Sun, 2012/08/19 - 1:53pm.

There is one on Fairmont Blvd. too.
Twenty or so years ago the exterior was covered with stucco so you can no longer tell it is metal.

R. Neal's picture

Some very cool 1949

Submitted by R. Neal on Sun, 2012/08/19 - 4:25pm.

Some very cool 1949 construction photos from one of the links above...

Factchecker's picture

Awesome! I uploaded the

Submitted by Factchecker on Sun, 2012/08/19 - 4:53pm.

Awesome! I uploaded the google map photo of the SH home, but decided it's not a good idea to post. It's no special photo and anybody could find it from a search. Wonder where online might be the photo shoot pics of it that appeared in MP or KNS, though. It was redone in a more sixties/Jetsons kind of motif. Also found that it sold in '08.

R. Neal's picture

The Sequoyah Hills Lustron home

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2012/08/20 - 7:47am.

A reader submits this photo of the Sequoyah Hills Lustron home (click image for bigger). Check out the cool mailbox.

IMG_20120819_194327.jpg

Red Dog's picture

There is one on Woodson Dr

Submitted by Red Dog (not verified) on Tue, 2012/08/21 - 10:09am.

There is one on Woodson Dr also. Recently it had the siding covered with Hardy Board shingles.

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