Back in the day, you were lucky if you had one bathroom in your house. Prior to, and after World War II, there were actually government restrictions on the number of bathrooms that could be built in newly constructed homes, due to materials shortages. Reader Shari D. recently posted an informative comment on a story I did a while back showing 1942 photos from the Library of Congress of Quinnipiac Terrace, of a defense housing development in New Haven, Conn. Shari wrote:
I collect from eBay – and read thoroughly – issues of a trade magazine for the building industry called “American Builder”. Currently I am going back (again) through the issues dated through the War years. There is an amazing amount of information, with lots of pictures and floor plans, and information covering the houses built for defense workers, and military members and their families during that time. It also dealt with all the myriad, confusing and confounding government rules and edicts regarding what the building industry could, and more to the point, could NOT do during that time. You could make enough “alphabet soup” from all the different defense organization acronyms to feed everyone on the east coast three meals a day for a year!
Pam here, noting: I have also collected copies of American Builder and have found that Practical Builder also is a terrific historical resource. Note also: Both of the links earn me small commissions if ya buy.
Regarding construction restrictions, that someone else brought up concerning homes built in 1942 – the current issue I am reading of the American Builder, January, 1942, has an article in it addressing that very issue, and the builder who worked day and night to lay foundations for as many houses as possible, likely did that around the first part of October, 1941. We weren’t directly involved in the War yet, it’s true, BUT, we were going crazy building “defense housing” prior to that, for the mass migrations of people to the big defense centers, such as the shipbuilding yards on three coasts (East, West, and the Gulf coast) bomber plants, right down to the little subassembly production facilities which were busy making things like seats for those big bombers.
There was also a flurry of building numerous new Army facilities from the ground up, to accommodate all the new draftees and enlistees in the other services, who were coming through the pipeline to be trained, housed, fed, cared for healthwise (hospitals, etc.) So, construction restrictions were getting tighter everyday. In January, it was reported (again, in concert with an article about other restrictions) that builders who had *completed* foundations (not half done) in the ground as of October 9, 1941, would be granted a priority to get the needed materials he didn’t already have in hand to complete those homes. That was the cutoff date for builders to have complete autonomy to buy the materials they needed to build a complete residential structure, whether it was a one-family home, a whole subdivision, or a multifamily apartment building. The cutoff date of course had been announced in advance, but the limitations hadn’t yet been finalized.
As for the restriction on the number of bathrooms a single family home (or apartment) could have (one) due to the restrictions on copper for water pipes, connections, and valves, and iron for waste stacks, and the cast iron or steel used to make bathtubs all priority materials, I’m sure I have read it in past issues (since I have been reading these for several years) of American Builder. I’m not sure of the exact dates involved, but likely very close to the others. I do know too that when we were really in the thick of things, building wise, that there were some defense homes which were built without bathtubs all together, and just had shower stalls! And even those were made with a very minimum of restricted materials.
But, the houses were also built with an incomplete second floor, for completing more two or even three bedrooms and an additional bath later on, after the War restrictions were no longer in force, and the plans which were provided to the homeowner at the time of sale included a bathroom layout that included ample space for the missing tub. In the meantime, everyone had to learn to like short showers rather than a long soak!
A few alternatives to steel or cast iron bathtubs which were either proposed but never actually constructed in large numbers due to a real lack of practicality included a tub constructed inside and out completely out of small ceramic tiles, over a wooden framework covered in some kind of cement, with the tile grouting adding to the “durability,” such as it was! Can you imagine sitting in such a structure to bathe? And, there was a period of time where all the exposed plumbing pipes and handle controls were no longer chrome plated but made from black iron in small quantities! Definitely utilitarian!
Thank you, Shari. Indeed. I will add: During this period, there also was a dire housing shortage. It is my understanding that people crowded into city apartments were over-the-moon happy to get into these new homes, no matter how small they were. This situation went on for another… 30 years or so!
Dan says
Material shortages during the war years quickly turned to surpluses after V-J day. That is when we saw a real boom in steel cabinetry and furniture.
Shari D. says
And someone even tried it with houses! Other than to give the name, Lustron Homes, I will leave the details to any interested party to Google them. ????
Pam Kueber says
Yes, we have several stories on Lustrons — pretty good stories, if I say so myself: https://retrorenovation.com/?s=lustron
Shari D. says
Hmmmm – after reading again, I may have given an improper impression regarding restrictions on bathrooms in houses built during the War. If that’s the way it was taken, I apologize for not being more clear.
The restrictions on the number of bathrooms were on homes built just prior to and during the War, NOT afterwards.
“Defense” construction, which took place to provide homes and apartments for the heavy influx of Defense Plant employees before the War, were each only allowed one bathroom, due to the restrictions on steel and cast iron for fixtures like bathtubs, and some kinds of bathroom sinks. Not all sinks were produced in the same way potteries produced toilets (or “closets” as they were more commonly called in building terms) – many were enameled steel, like kitchen sinks were becoming.
BUT, AFTER the War, the restrictions dropped and the only problems anyone had getting those supplies was in waiting for the manufacturers to change over from defense production to consumer goods again, and catching up with a huge backlog! That took plenty of time, as the foundries which produced the steel, iron, and other metals and alloys had to retool and refit, and even update their ordering and bookkeeping processes too!
Onawa Rock says
Thanks for this! My house/neighborhood was built in 1942 for aircraft factory workers for the war. The houses in my development are all concrete block and were built quickly so in the news at the time there was concern that it would become a slum. But 3 models of cape cod/mid century modest and all are still here-and seem to be increasingly popular (apparently were kind of run down during the 1970s). Can’t wait to read all the links-
Eliza says
Mr Blandings Builds his Dream House was made in 1948. Remember how the wife insists that every bedroom have it’s own bathroom?
Shari D. says
That is one of our very favorite movies! One of the very cool things Ilove about it is that R.K.O. actually built a real house in the movie, and it still stands today! The house built for the 1948 film still stands on the old Fox Ranch property in Malibu Creek State Park in the hills a few miles north of Malibu. It is used as an office for the Park.
Then the other extra super cool thing about it is that the building industry, and R.K.O., the movie studio which produced it, got together and did a nationwide promotion, involving producing blueprints for building 73 actual reproductions of the Blanding’s home, sponsored in part by GE, for about 60 of the homes, which provided every electric component and appliance available on the market, all top of the line of course, in every home, including wiring systems, kitchen appliances (“electric sink” was a plus, including dishwasher, and garbage disposal in one cabinet sink unit) and laundry machines, plus the heating AND true air conditioning, etc. Some homes were slightly altered to fit the available lot size on which each house was built, or, in one particular instance, to suit local architectural styles better. In Phoenix, Arizona, the dream house was a ranch house built by P.W. Womack Construction Company in a central city development called BelAir (now part of Encanto Village).
There were states which had more than one house built, and some which didn’t have any. California, New York and Texas, of course, EACH got SIX; Indiana, Ohio and Tennesee each had three; where West Virginia and Virginia didn’t have any, for whatever reasons. Those are not the only examples of the odd distribution, but they were fairly well distributed over all.
They were built, tours, which charged a small admission fee, were promoted in Life magazine, on radio, newspapers for local promotion of each house, along with registering to actually WIN the house involved! An image of the Life magazine page advertising the house and most of the GE connection to the promotion is found here. Its a safe link – I’ve had tjat link for ages and it works fine.
https://books.google.com/books?id=a0YEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA78#v=onepage&q&f=true
A full covering article in Wikipedia has been constructed, which gives more details under the Promotion category. The article was intended to talk about the movie originally, which it still does, but as more information has come forward, it has been added.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Blandings_Builds_His_Dream_House
Dan says
The real Blandings house (actually, the Eric Hodgins house), still stands in Connecticut. Although fairly traditional from the outside, it had some very avant garde features, like one of the first residential dishwashers, indirect lighting in the dining room (which insisted on making an annoying buzz), and wrap around windows. The cost of building the house did indeed balloon and Hodgins had to sell after only two years residence. When the fictional story of his trials made him once again wealthy, he tried to buy back the house, but to no avail.
My favorite scene in the movie – Myrna Loy choosing paint colors.
Margie Bovard says
My favorite scene too!
Shari D. says
And mine as well! Especially when the contractor/builder breaks it down for the painter – “red, green, blue, yellow, white!”
They never discussed the bedrooms, the maid’s quarters, or the upstairs bathrooms!
Jay says
Wow! I never knew that replicas were built; one of my favorite movies. There was a second book written titled “Blanding’s Way”.
Thanks for the links – something to check out.
Nancy LeBlanc says
Other than Tennessee, there doesn’t seem to have any in the South.
Shari D. says
There are two in North Carolina. One of them has interior photos available through the link given in another poster’s comment regarding that house.
Regarding that particular link, when I clicked on it, it did not pull up the photographs, indicating the search didn’t produce anything, and giving the search parameters used. I poked around for a little bit, and discovered that all 12 interior photos would come up by typing the name “Blandings” in the search bar, and hitting enter. So, if you experience a similar difficulty,try that and see if it comes up for you.
Shari D. says
Actually, there are several in the
following cities:
Washington, DC*, Atlanta, GA, Louisville, KY, Greensboro, NC, Rocky Mount, NC, Chattanooga, TN, Memphis, TN, Nashville, TN.
(*Yes, there are people who still consider Washington, D.C. as part of the Olde South! I guess all it takes is being south of the Mason-Dixon Line to qualify!)
Sally Dent says
There is a street in Los Alamos named Bathtub Row. When the housing was being built, those were the only houses with bathtubs!
Pam Kueber says
Wow!
Laurie says
We live in ABQ and Los Alamos is THE place to visit for WWII history and culture. I love it!
Shari D. says
For the high ranking officers, ????✈️I betcha! ????
Barbara says
Shari…thank you so much for the educated morning.
I’m all in!! Especially when it comes to Real Estate! A lot of my family come from those era’s.
Where do I sign-up?
Barbara
p.s. Pamela…nice article!!
Shari spread the good word about Pamela’s blog!
Shari D. says
Barbara – It has been my pleasure to have done so on numerous occasions! I’ve been a “long time listener” but certainly not a “first time commenter” here as well! ???? I have mentioned this blog on many others, where I know her valuable information would serve others well!
Thank YOU so very much, Pam, for including my comments in toto, to create a whole new post! I am truly flattered.
And, I too recently began reading issues of “Practical Builder” myself, having recently located an eBay seller who has been liquidating his own 25 year collection of building and architectural publications! I wasn’t familiar with that particular publication until then, partly because I had spent most of my searches looking for “American Builder” being most familiar to me. I still think I like it the best of the two. I purchased some editions of PB, but found the reading easier in AB. He also had/has? many different types of publications covering different angles of the building design and construction industry, from the late 1800’s up to the late 20th century! He’s about done now I think, but currently isn’t listing anything due to personal and family obligations that are keeping him away from eBay for a few weeks. But, if you search for seller “jpierre” (without the quotes, of course) on eBay, you can still see a lot of what he’s sold by using “sold” or “completed items” as a search filter.
Lots of “Practical Builder,” “American Builder,” kit home catalogs, and many planbooks. Even if you can’t buy them now, he took up to the 12 photo limit of most all of them, so you can get at least a glimpse of the contents. Definitely enough to make my decisions to pass or bid alot easier! My budget these days plays a big hand in that as well! And no, I’m not “shilling” for him to get him more business – I’ve got enough competition at bidding as it is! Just trying to find a way to show the different things that are/could still be out there if you look carefully!
As for the more “acerbic” view of the suburban development of the country, I find a lot of that comes from people viewing it from a totally different life angle – perhaps “armchair quarterbacking” fits it best. The Gi’s and their brides, and small families at the end of the War were facing a 15 year backlog of construction square in the face in 1946. Practically no building of any kind during the 10 years of the Great Depression, except for a small amount of high-dollar construction, building homes for people who managed to stay solvent during that time, and almost the same “no building” for the average Joe during the War, OR the rich folks either, due to priorities, rationing, and little to no manpower to do the job, since the young, fit men were all in the military, and even the 4F’s, and old men were working in the defense and wartime industries.
Even defense housing, which was mostly NOT designed with long term use in mind, would stay occupied much longer than expected, as many families made their temporary migration to find high paying war jobs a permanent stay, since the factories who employed them wouldn’t take too very long to revert and refit to a peacetime economic boom producing all the consumer goods they had been promising during the War years.
They weren’t looking for big and fancy, they were looking for privacy, a yard of their very own, and their very own doors they could open and close at will, as opposed to furnished attic rooms with one shared bath for the whole house, and the same with kitchens. Or two room furnished apartments shared with other family members. There have been reliable stories of people living in converted (large) chicken coops, garages, etc., just to find shelter.
Can you not imagine how those small – usually under 1,000 sqft – homes were like their very own little palaces to those people? THAT, and the incredibly affordable financing that came via the GI Bill, providing the ability to get a home for themselves and their families, for NO MONEY DOWN and a very affordable mortgage payment at 4% interest, created a whole new society of the middle class working man, and the college educated white collar “Man in The Gray Flannel Suit.” That was their goal. And these homes, and government funded educations, helped them begin to reach their goals. They would likely move “up” after a time, to larger homes in nicer neighborhoods as they also “moved up” in their careers. Some stayed put, making changes and renovations to their homes, adding space and more livability, instead of moving out and taking on larger jouse payments.
Nobody had a crystal ball to show the future, based on those actions, or on the actions yet to take place. How anybody can try to go back in retrospect and claim that these circumstances were all wrong and should have been done completely differently, is beyond me. They couldn’t have been done any other way than they were done. And, in the process, we got numerous and varied lovely designs and ideas for architecture and furnishings we would have been seriously impoverished without, from a design and beauty standpoint.
Back to more reading!
Ashley says
All of this is fascinating, including the notion of whether we should reexamine policies of the past. Without getting political, we should bear in mind that the GI Bill and FHA home loans were only available to white people; that policy contributed to segregation in new housing, and to enormous disparities in intergenerational wealth. There is a lot to read on this subject (all of it written by people more articulate and more expert than I), and I encourage everyone to look into this subject!
Shari D. says
Ashley – Yes indeed, that’s also been a thorn in my side for as long as I’ve been aware of the practice, which has been blamed on sub-dividers, home builders, contractors, and just about anyone else, except the RIGHT parties – the Government entities writing mortgage insurance regulations. They hold the power of the pen and the dollar over everyone’s head. Not the banks, or the savings and loans, or those buying, selling, or building the houses.
Now, to be fair, to a point, in the 1920’s and before the FHA came about in the early 1930’s, (1934?) it definitely was the private builders and developers who set up their “Highly Restricted” communities, (which were indeed advertised as such) to keep out African-Americans, Jews, Italians, Asians, Hispanics, and anyone else they didn’t consider to be potential members of “polite society” or the “Country Club Set” or “good neighbors” because they were “different from us” and did, said, thought, ate, and went to church differently from “us,” or whatever else you want to call any member of any of the minority sets. It was always “us” and “those others.” And “they” were highly suspect in every way.
But, with the FHA first, in 1934 and 10 years later with the GI Bill especially, came what was called “Redlining.” This really is as simple as it sounds. Real estate maps of every area covered locally for every institution were drawn and evaluated for predominantly white areas, and all the “others.” The predominantly (meaning 100%) white areas had green lines around them, usually the areas of new construction for white buyers, marking them as the “go to” areas, while other outlying areas and those somewhat closer in were still considered “a good risk” and were marked around in blue; with any “declining” or questionable areas were surrounded by yellow lines – or areas of warning – and then, you guessed it – the predominantly black communities and areas of minority settlement were heavily marked with a red pencil, meaning there would be NO investment of any kind for any reason, in such areas at all.
And with no sources of financing, for new construction, remodeling or any revitalizing, much less purchasing of homes either in minority areas by minorities OR whites, or in new “whites only” areas by minority buyers, they were locked out completely from being able to move up into better areas with better schools and services for the families or communities, and nicer neighborhoods, and participating in the economic boom of the Post War years.
No banks, savings and loans, building and loans, mortgage companies, insurance companies or any kind of finance company at all was able to get mortgages insured by the GI Bill/VA, OR the FHA for minority buyers in any area. And THAT was the government’s doing, not anyone else. It just “trickled down” on every one else’s head right from Washington, D.C. They did indeed make the rules that absolutely everyone else must adhere to.
This is one thing that made the “in-house” home financing programs by the kit home companies so very popular with so many people, living in all sorts of areas. The mortgage application with the Sears Modern Homes programs were extremely popular amongst numerous members of all levels of society, no matter if they were single women, widows, first or second generation immigrants from other countries, etc. The application did not ask – nor did they care about – any of those other factors. At the time, the only things they wanted to know involved your name, how you could be contacted, did you have a job that was steady, where, could you afford to make the monthly payments, and did you have a lot to put the home on? Period.
Even today, in spite of numerous court decisions, and lawsuits, with individually filed or class-action suits with potentially positive results in decisions, many forms of redlining, right down to the alteration of community maps to show little to no focus of loan activity in minority communities, whether African-American, Hispanic, or the LGBT community at large, or any other areas determined to be “undesirable,” right into the 21st century, and other forms of discriminatory financial and service practices are being practiced right now, today, as well. Many organizations, including one particular banking/financial service organization, which shall remain nameless here, have been taken to the courts repeatedly, and found guilty,or settled involving the payment of millions of dollars in fines. BUT, the article here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redlining
on the practice of redlining and its considerable financial wreckage explains a great deal. Much more than could or should be covered here.
Retroski says
That’s fascinating! I love reading the “Forgotten Chicago” website for its historical perspective too. I have a question—is it really true building homes slowed down that much from about 1932-1945? Because I have seen several homes built during that period, and they’re not fancy, located in suburbs and cities. Just wondering!
Fascinating what people are “content” with in each era.
9kkju says
Yes, it’s true that enough of a lag in homebuilding occured in the 15 year period of the “Great Depression” (compared with the post WWI building boom of the Roaring !++aa!aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!aaaaaa!!a!a9aTwenties, which occurred more or less for the same reasons) and the first 5 years of the 1940’s, due to the Defense efforts and pre-War concentration on producing all the food supplies, materiel, and armaments required not only to build up a very tiny post-WWI military presence of our own, into the military super power we became; but also to supply the Allies “Lend-Lease Act” contracts which were so very important to their own efforts – considering most of them had been involved in fighting the war since 1939.
There was construction done in and around many cities, towns and urban areas which were designated as “priority” areas near important war materiel factories and other production facilities, which came up very short of living facilities due to the rapid influx of workers seeking employment in those areas. The government took on building up living quarters of various kinds, while the private sector assumed a greater percentage of small home and apartment building of a more homey, pleasant looking nature than the government’s more square, utilitarian looking apartment blocks and duplex and attached housing units. This stands to reason that anything the government took on to build was done with public funds from the get-go, while private builders did it with some public money in the form of loan guarantees, while actually planned, designed, and paid for with construction loans and buyer’s loans guaranteed by the FHA Title XI program. No public funds – aka tax money actually changed hands, other than in the form of the monthly taxes withheld from their mortgage payments each month. So, the people who bought privately funded and built homes and paid for them with private mortgages were contributing to the actual tax revenue of the government each month, and those who paid rent for publicly funded apartments weren’t.
Shari D. says
Sorry about the silly typos! That’s the effect of trying to edit before entering, and having already taken my nighttime medications!???? I was trying to fix a few things, which obviously didnt get fixed before I fell asleep, and didn’t quite make it. ????
Ah – and one thing I wish to correct here – the government mortgage and construction financing program I mentioned here should have been identified as “Title VI” (6), not “Title XI” (9) I really do know my Roman numerals, but I guess I just got them a little confused for a minute! ???? Sorry ’bout that!
Carolyn says
Well, this gives me a different viewpoint for my perceptions of history. I thought indoor bathrooms had more to do with access to septic tanks or sewage treatment. Add in that people generally thought a flush toilet was an extravagance pretty far down on the list, if at all.
Recently a woman near Broadway was in the news for renting a room since the 1950’s for less than $400/yr. I couldn’t see if it was a “cold water flat” but it was said she went to the local “Y” to shower. So, for some, a bathroom was a luxury, not necessity.
I’ve read a lot about immigrants and Levittown and these stories weren’t only about GI’s coming back from WWII. There is only so much usable space in a city once the population reaches a certain number and people reach a minimum income. A cinder block stand-alone house would have been heaven to those who’d had their fill of sleeping in the kitchen or multiples to a bed. To be able to use the bathroom at any time of the day or night would be sittin’ in high cotton!
Wasn’t that clever of the “tiny house” movement to come up with such an original idea – !
Jay says
Fascinating information, back in the late 80s when looking for my first house I looked at an area of houses originally built as plant housing during the war. Two small square bedrooms, 1 bath and living room and small kitchen/dining area. Built of block, one I looked at was never altered. The interior walls were never covered, you saw the block walls on the inside and every room had floors of VAT. No second floor or garages but nice sized yards.
Last year I picked up one 50s edition of American Builder at a house sale. There was close to a decades worth there but wanted too much money.
Dee says
Restrictions on building supplies during war time wasn’t limited to WWII. Our house was built in 1971 and has aluminum wiring because of copper rationing during the Vietnam war. (Or so I was told by the building inspector before we bought it) Is anyone aware of something similar happening during the Korean war? I ask because We’ve considered downsizing to a 50,s era ranch and am interested in what types of construction ‘quirks’ to look out for.
On a side note I wanted to say thanks Pam for sharing your knowledge and passion. This is my first time commenting on this site. I found you by accident a few months ago and have had fun perusing through previous articles.
Jay says
The copper wasn’t rationed; supply couldn’t meet demand so the price sky rocketed. Builders looked for a cheaper alternative and chose aluminum which was already used for high tension electric distribution just not for residential branch wiring.
Dan says
For a more acidic view of the postwar housing boom, read “The Crack in the Picture Window” by john Keats, published in 1956. It paints such a bleak picture of the “new suburbia” – that same new suburbia we view with such nostalgia. I guess everything depends on which end of the telescope you look through.
Pam Kueber says
Yes. There were plenty of cracks — and worse — and loveliness, too — then — and now — and anytime — everywhere. I stay away from politics here, about 99.9% of the time.
Personally I do not have nostalgia in it its literal sense, for times back then. I just like some of the architecture and design.