69th anniversary:
Levittown and the invention of the suburb
At the end of WWII, the federal government had a serious problem that grew worse by the day: a severe housing shortage driven by unprecedented demand.
Millions of military veterans had returned from service to overcrowded cities that imposed a low standard of living and high poverty just when they were eager to begin or expand their families. The high postwar birthrate further pushed demand for housing.
Washington D.C. figured they needed 5 million affordable houses. Immediately. They had two choices: try to build them or collaborate with private industry. They chose the latter and launched a new standard for the American Dream.
Washington made billions in credit dollars available to construction companies and offered buyers 5-percent mortgages with VA and FHA loans. Within three years, 4 million houses were ready for sale.
One of the first builders to take advantage of this informal partnership was Abraham Levitt and his three sons. Abraham's son Alfred was an architect, who experimented with new design and construction ideas. William was a whiz at selling. They specialized in building homes for the upper middle-class. Until the war. Bill served in the Seabees, the Navy construction division, and was based in Oahu. He interviewed soldiers and sailors about their after-war plans. They wanted to marry, start a family and get a house. Bill recognized the business opportunity for the family firm and sent a telegram to his dad: Buy land.
By 1947, Abraham had purchased 4,000 acres of potato fields in Hempstead N.Y., 25 miles east of Manhattan. It was here the Levitts created the first and largest postwar suburban community ever, called Levittown.
Levittown was the first truly mass-produced suburb and is regarded as the archetype suburbs.
Levitt revolutionized home building by becoming the Henry Ford of houses. Levitt used assembly-line production, where each of his 27 non-union workers was trained to specialize in a specific construction task. Each house was finished in 27 steps and took 15 minutes! That added up to 30 new houses per day.
Levitt sold and built 10,600 houses in three years, inhabited by more than 40,000 people. Quality houses. Small and efficient. Each came with appliances, radiant-heated tile floors, a fireplace, and built-in TV and Hi-Fi. No garage. No fences allowed.
Levittown also came with parks, playgrounds, swimming and kiddie pools, schools, churches, baseball diamonds, handball courts, shopping centers and 60-odd fraternal clubs and veterans' organizations.
Yes, they came in only three styles. Unpretentious. Nearly identical. Affordable for those who earned $3,800 annually: a price of $7,990 for $100 down; $56 monthly.
Levittowners come from all classes and walks of life. But all residents were white. No blacks and, even though Levitt was Jewish, no Jews either. While this is the only thing remembered in recent year, residents think fondly of the place, an idyllic playground for the dozens of children on each block., There wasn't anything we wouldn't do for each other. Babysit, drive someone somewhere, maybe help out with a mortgage payment someone couldn't meet,, one resident said
Today, 69 years later, Levittown homes have been customized, expanded and landscaped.