In the 1940s, people were so conservative with their money that they wanted to build houses smaller than banks wanted to finance. As a result, the government came up with FHA “minimum standards” for the square footage required to obtain home financing. Yes, you are reading that correctly: The government had to incentive Americans to build bigger houses. Above: This 1940 builders model is one example of the “Tom Thumb” houses that our great grandparents wanted to build. Built full size, it would encompass just 720 s.f. — I need to find my historical records, I am guessing this was the minimum square footage required at that time. Made by Small Homes Demonstration Inc. and used by the West Coast Lumberman’s Association as a model for the use of wood products, this 1940 miniature was for sale from ebay seller mydoghasabighead. A terrific artifact.
Rare find from a private collection. This is a true to scale miniature model home — an advertising display sample from the 1940s. Provenance found with this item states it was made by Small Homes Demonstration Inc. and used by the West Coast Lumberman’s Association as a model for the use of wood products.
Original label included with it reads:
National Small Homes Demonstration, Inc. An “Engineered” Small Home, 1940 Model – Lumber Edition No. 40-2, 4 to 6 rooms and bath — 24′ x 30′
Most likely this was used at a tradeshow but it could have been used for display to the public as well.
The green base of this model is labeled American Model Makers Inc., Chicago Ill., USA, Product and Process Patents Pending.
Base measures 23 1/2″ x 23 1/2″.
House measures 15 1/2″ long x 12 1/2″ wide x 10″ tall to the peak of the roof (not including chimney).The entire diorama, including the base, weighs more than 15 lbs.
The roof lifts off on one side to reveal the interior architectural floor plan.
A modest home, it is highly reflective of an era gone by, representative of a typical middle class American family home of the 1940s. All miniature furniture, people, rugs and accessories shown inside are included. Some of the furniture is out of scale and and has obviously been added just for fun, but most is original to this demo I believe; the rugs are made of paper, the furniture (except for kitchen table and chairs) is made of wood.
All pieces are removable, including the rugs; the doorways and walls are stationary.
There are few bumps and bruises on the roof and to the house here and there, as shown in closeup photos, including some warping/wear to the front door, but no drastic damage and all the fencing is included (this is not secured to the base and can also be moved around).
A fabulous item for any collector, but especially if you collect vintage salesman’s samples, dollhouses, models and dioramas, miniatures or even trains. All the materials used in the construction of this model are actual wood and wood products.
Mega thanks to ebay seller mydoghasabighead for allowing us to feature photos of this amazing vintage model.
I have more examples of Tom Thumb house designs. I will dig them out and also look for more background on the factors that led to the FHA minimum standards requirement for square footage. It’s all so very interesting.
See our other stories on vintage miniature houses here:
- Midcentury-miniature design for Barbie, from Maryann Roy
- Midcentury modern dollhouse: Decay as Art, dead body included.
- Rare 1962 Marx metal dollhouse — with a fallout bomb shelter.
- A vintage Cape Cod dollhouse — saved from a dire fate: Julie D’s entry.
- Vintage Putz Houses — A history and online guide.
- Vintage style putz house Holiday Crafting DIY.
Lauryn says
I love this little house! My neighborhood is full of these beauties … our 1939 house is a wee bit bigger, about 900 square feet, but the two bedrooms, the bath, kitchen, and living room are all on one floor, just like this model. Our 1/2 second story was partially finished at some point, which gives us a little more room, but it is plenty big for two people … and the couple we bought it from had two teenaged boys! (And yes, most of them have two doors. Ours has a side door off the kitchen as well.)
Tasha says
That is absolutely adorable! I wonder if my attraction to mini things helped in our decision to buy a small house? Hmm. lol Ours is larger than the ones discussed here, about 1,300 sq ft (not including a semi-finished basement), but tiny compared to any other house owned by our various family members. And the small size was one of the selling points to us– larger house meant larger mortgage, easier to fill with crap, takes longer to clean, projects are more expensive due to size and scale, etc. Sure, I have moments when I wish we had a big open “great room” or even the openness and airiness of many of the MCM houses I see on RR, but I’m proud to have our small compact 50s city house! 🙂
Kate says
Exactly! Less house = less work, money, time to upkeep.
When we were looking for our ranch, we looked at a lot of great 1,500 sq. ft. houses and only ultimately decided to get the 1,900 sq. ft. house because it was 1) in more original shape than others we considered 2) the same price as slightly smaller homes that were “updated” due to its original state and 3) all of our family lives 2-8+ hours drive away from us and we liked the idea of extra room so they could stay with us more comfortably when they all come to visit at the same time.
I do miss the days of my tiny yard and 900 sq. ft. cape cod. It took me so much less time to clean and do yard work back then, still I love my house — I just couldn’t imagine it being any larger than this without having to budget for a cleaning and lawn crew (more $$$ to factor in to the cost).
Robin, NV says
I lived in a 850 sq. ft., 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment for a while. it actually had a nice roomy kitchen, dining room, living room, and laundry room – all thoughtfully planned out in less than 900 sq. ft. For two people and 3 cats it was more than sufficient. It’s all in the layout. I think in smaller spaces it’s crucial to have an open layout rather than have boxy rooms walled off from each other. Plus lots of windows. Oh and lots of closets and drawers.
Janet in CT says
My husband’s father worked on putting up these houses right outside of East Hartford after the war. He said they cleared the lots and had a sawmill on site and used the wood, as green as it was, to build the houses! For those of you who own one now or grew up in one, did they only have one entry door? I would think for the sake of safety, there must have been a second one to satisfy the fire codes and that this model is just that, a general representation.
Jay says
Janet, take a closer look. The room to the left of the front door is the kitchen and it has an entry/exit door as well.
Janet in CT says
I did notice that after I posted. I was looking at the back and the sides at the back. Didn’t even notice that one up front and somehow went right by the photo of the side with the door. Duh.
Jay says
Great model!
The 40s was a strange decade. In the beginning, the effects of the depression ligered, not alot of money or jobs going around. Then the war and afterwards the great migration to the suburbs and all that new housing construction made afordable with FHA and VA loans.
I once looked at similar houses but they were made of brick. Perverse design – the side kitchen door did not open to the driveway which was on the other side of the house/ Also, not having a back door to the the rear yard was a turnoff.
I also think that houses were built then according to the dollar per sq ft that a person could afford. I think that explains the house an uncle once bought near Baltimore. It was very small for a single house. Having always lived in small houses, I can’t imagine living in a big one. I am always in awe of the time capsules with bowling alley size kitchens.
JaniceW says
This is basically my house! Mine’s a bit bigger, 990 square feet, and both bedrooms are upstairs, so the rooms are all reasonably sized. It’s all I need.
I realized the other day that in my entire life I have never lived in a house bigger than 1200 square feet.
Kate says
I lived in a house similar to this when I first moved away from home. My uncle owned it and let me live there for cheap when I was looking for my own house. I’d guess it was around 800 square feet and had a similar upstairs that was partially finished but hard to get anything into. Then I bought my first house, a 900 sq. ft. cape cod, which needed lots of work. It seemed cramped when I had family staying during remodeling projects (things were stacked everywhere!) but once we got the bulk of the remodeling done, it really was a nice size.
Both my husband and I grew up in ranch homes, between 1,300 and 1,700 sq. feet and they seemed so big! Our ranch house that we live in now is 1,900 sq. feet and feels huge to us and our families when they visit by comparison. I can’t imagine even wanting to live in a house that was bigger than this! I’m definitely NOT dreaming of a 4,000 sq. foot house. The cleaning and upkeep alone would be the end of me.
Wynonna says
Wow…Looks like the little crackerbox my parents bought in Harper Woods MI……….We were always told that they were temporary post war homes that were supposed to be torn down at a later date.
Robin, NV says
As we say in the military, “there’s nothing more permanent than a temporary building.” I think the mentality in the government is “well, it already exists and is doing fine, why spend money to replace it.” This is especially true of housing. But I can also think of many examples where the opposite is true.
Diane from PA says
Across from our local old time shopping center there are a ton of these houses that were built right after the war. I believe my mother told me that for $4 thousand you could buy one/ if you wanted the dormers they were an extra $500. By today standards most people have garages bigger than these houses.
Chad says
Yes, my parents’ neighbors just built a 3 car detached garage with dormers above it. Paid for a stone front on it but none of the stormwater mitigation that’s required by law. I always mock it by calling it a cape cod house.
mary hershelman says
It would be nice to have quality smaller homes built instead of 5,000 sq. ft. monsters with 750 sq. ft. kitchens where no body cooks. This home is set up for a family of four….imagine children sharing a bedroom? a family sharing one bath? Would love to see one of these that hasn’t been modified….there’s gotta be one out there.
MbS says
I live in such a house, built in 1943 as part of war worker housing in WWII. My house is 680 square feet on first floor. The unfinished scuttle stair attic was finished circa 1958, giving me more room but you can not get anything up the stairs, truly!
Two streets away is the first ever post WWII VA housing loan house…
My house was not touched, so my slow-slow-as-molasses rehabilitation is guided by small money pots I coax from income, my sweat equity, and waiting for rock bottom vintage finds at the thrift store or the curb.
A couple of points of pride include: original light fixtures in kitchen, hall, bath vanity (pressed glass with little pyramid points, and both tiny porches. All bathroom fixtures are original, with black and white square tile. Unpainted wood window trim/baseboards.
Love living in my cozy place: Tom Thumb, Victory House, Working Man’s Cottage, Dollhouse, Story-and-a-half, Gable-front Cottage, Gable-front Cape…..these are the many names of such small houses in the close in MD suburbs of Washington, DC.
Rosebriar says
Our first house was a 1940s of 720 square feet.it was a great little house that our family lived in. Would still be living there if I had not happened across a great 1950 house which we bought from the original owners. Want to get it all back to the original since they did some “updating” in the seventies. This site is such a great help. Love it and have to check it out every day. It is becoming a running joke with my dear husband about what I learned on Retro Renovation today.
pam kueber says
🙂
Chris Harris says
Please share pictures?!?
MH says
Our family of four, living in Virginia, lives in an 800 sq ft home – two bedrooms, one bath. VERY similar to the model, but we have two small and lovely porches in the front and back. Our house was built in 1947 and even though, with two rapidly growing boys we feel a little squished sometimes, it is a solid home that we dearly love. Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of the original light, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, but the interior doors with beautiful copper plates behind glass door-knobs are original, and we have lovely unpainted trim throughout the house that is also original, as well as original wood floors (except in the hall where their used to be a vent in the floor and it has been replaced with flooring).
Robin Sears says
Be still my beating heart…….
Amy Stoller says
FHA mortgage requirements appear to have been based on a minimum of two bedrooms, rather than square footage, if I have read this correctly: http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/Portal/Communities/BHP/Suburbs/Georgia_American_Small_House.pdf
Mary Elizabeth says
A most interesting document. Thanks for the link.
Isn’t this house too cute? It’s very similar to the doll house I built with my grandpa when I was a little girl.
pam kueber says
Yes, very interesting – I have printed it out to read. I am pretty sure that I have read about FHA minimum standards for square footage. That is why it is in my brain to begin with! I need to find the source. I will add this to my list. It could well be it was s.f. + bedrooms!