Customer Reviews

Lustron Homes: The History of a Postwar Prefabricated Housing Experiment

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This is definitely a "niche" book...one would probably either need to have a direct interest in the Lustron home or have an interest in researching American housing types. I fall into the category of one who is interested in the Lustron home. My husband & I are in the process of purchasing a Lustron home...until about a month ago we had never even heard the word "Lustron". This book has proven to be highly enlightening & has allowed us to make an informed purchase.

I found it to be not only informative but also quite interesting reading. Mr. Fetters' extensive research allowed him to include many tidbits of information that made the story of the Lustron Company come to life. It is a somewhat bittersweet story; Mr. Fetters gives just due to a product that was years ahead of its time.

An exceptionally well-researched and informative study of these historically-significant all-porcelain-enameled-steel houses. Fetters documents just about every aspect of Lustron's amazing history, from design & company background to manufacture & marketing to the political machinations that led to Lustron's demise. The text is supplemented by important company documents, useful diagrams and photos, and a valiant first attempt at listing all known Lustron addresses by state. (An updated online inventory, supplemented with the author's help, is available at "Lustron Locator".)

My copy of this book sees constant use as a valuable reference work, and the wealth of information collected in one place has provided a great resource for the ongoing nationwide effort to publicize & preserve Lustrons throughout the eastern U.S. (Many Lustrons have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but many more are demolished each year due to real estate pressures; fortunately, there is a growing community of concerned Lustron owners and a formal Lustron Home Preservation Society is taking shape.)

Every Lustron owner or enthusiast should have a copy of this important book. It will also appeal to architectural historians, recent-past preservationists, and those interested or involved in the current pre-fab housing trend.

And I learned a lot of curious and odd little details that I thought were utterly fascinating. Tom Fetters is *the man* when it comes to Lustron Homes. Plus, the book is filled with dozens of vintage photos and brochures and ephemera. As an architectural writer, I loved the vintage graphics and old-fashioned 1950s advertising copy. What a hoot!

The only drawback is that the text is a little dry and a bit too technical in places. A small complaint, I know, but that aside, it's a good book and remains the definitive book on Lustron Homes.

Rose Thornton
author, The Houses That Sears Built

This is a must-have book for anyone interested in American Architectural History, history of pre-fabricated housing or offbeat/innovative design that has been overlooked by conventional residential builders.

Every university with an architectural design degree program should include this text in its curriculum and/or reference library.

Hopefully this book will do more to bring awareness to Lustron. So many are being demolished. These homes were years ahead of their time and should be treated as national treasures.

This makes a great coffee table book for my Lustron Home.