You can still find this rare post-war architectural artifact around town.
Written by Michael Mills, founding principal of the Mills Group
One of the most interesting features behind architectural styles is the reasoning behind their invention. The Lustron House is an architectural ingenue with a fascinating history, of which traces can be found right here locally.
Morgantown has at least five Lustrons—three in Westover. Look for their distinctive square panels, rectangular footprint, a one-floor plan, and large picture windows.
The Lustron House came about with the end of World War II, when there was a need for immediate housing for returning soldiers. The existing housing supply could not meet the demand for new homes. Meanwhile, factories that had produced war goods stood abandoned. The Lustron Corporation was one of the first companies to combine a nationwide need for industry and housing by creating prefabricated, porcelain-enameled, steel panel homes.
The Lustron Corporation mass-produced homes just as Henry Ford mass-produced automobiles. Buyers chose between eight models with exotic color names like Surf Blue, Desert Tan, Maize Yellow, and Dove Gray. The buildings were constructed using interlocking panels that were assembled on-site. Approximately 30,000 pieces made up a complete home, which was billed as fireproof, vermin-proof, and maintenance-free.
Ultimately, the Lustron failed to capture national interest. Concerned with the loss of jobs, unions were against using the prefabricated construction and, in some areas, even forbade its construction. By 1950, the corporation went bankrupt. Fewer than 3,000 Lustron homes were produced between 1949 and 1950, with approximately 2,000 remaining intact.
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