Knoxville Modern Lustron Home Extraordinaire
On Wednesday I happened to be in the hospital emergency room and browsed the local Knoxville Magazine and they had this article on a great house in town. It was a teaser and did not give the address.
Saturday, we were out hitting some garage sales and turned down the street and I immediately spotted a thick growth of bamboo. We slowed. Then I saw more house and we were both oohing. Then I saw the modern beams on the side of the house from the pictures and I knew I’d stumbled upon the house!
It was an original Lustron home from 1948. There are 3 of these in Knoxville that I know of today. This one I did not know about. The problem today with these homes is that they are just too small by our standards. Gary solved this by very artfully adding on to his Lustron. The whole property is incredible and he carried the atomic theme even to his mailbox, which is a stainless steel Sputnik design
It is such a pleasure to just know this place is here in town. There are some drop dead gorgeaous modern homes near there. They are in a very upscale neighborhood and are classic and will remain for ages. This one is just over the top Mod.
You know I will be slipping an invitation in his mailbox to my next luau!
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Hey Swanky: I caught your blurb via my google alert set to “Lustron” — thanks for sharing your enthusiasm & interest in these great homes.
I’m a Lustron owner in western Massachusetts & an active member of the online Lustron community. Also working with the National Trust & various other local groups committed to preserving Lustrons around the country. (Check out latest issue of Preservation Magazine.)
For a great overview of Lustron’s intriguing history, take a look at the recent documentary [or better yet, buy a non-bootleg copy]; there are also two excellent books on the subject, one by Thomas T. Fetters and one by Douglas Knerr.
You point out Lustron’s small size as a problem. Maybe so — they tend to clutter easily, esp. in the hands of inveterate pack-rats & vintage collectors. But in my attempts to spin the benefits of Lustron ownership, esp. to those who would take up the challenge of preserving these historic gems, I’ve been touting the “small is beautiful”, energy-saving, anti-McMansion, etc. line.
Plus, if the lot is a decent size, and esp. if there’s convenient space created in conjunction with a matching (though wood-framed) Lustron garage (as we have), I’m inclined to suggest creating outdoor “rooms”; patio space; etc. Rather than attempting to build on to a Lustron, a step that invariably destroys some of the original design & orientation, and possibly invites structural and/or component damage at the intersection of original & added materials.
As I’m quoted in the Preservation article, Lustron preservation is a tricky but ultimately rewarding endeavor. Balancing owner prerogatives with historical integrity; developing effective “best practices” for restoration; trying to muster last-minute volunteers to save/salvage Lustrons threatened with demolition; encouraging stodgy local historical societies to recognize Lustron’s key historical & architectural significance; fantasizing about getting a huge, ongoing grant to fund a national salvaged parts warehouse/distribution system; etc.
Lustron homes have a unique & challenging place in current historic preservation efforts: unlike the focus of so many HP activities, they are multiple units spread across c. 35 states (as opposed to singular buildings); residential (hence subject to a myriad of owner preferences, various alterations, and not generally qualified for most institutional preservation funding); relatively low-value, economically speaking (thus sometimes difficult to encourage owners to invest in restoration, though much of this can be DIY). Lustrons might not have the same cache as Wright-inspired Usionians or West Coast case study houses, but their ownership/preservation is perhaps the most grass-roots of any modernist-oriented historical preservation effort out there today.
The main threat to Lustrons remains real estate development, reacting to the fact that the land on which they’re sited is often more “valuable” than the houses themselves. All the more reason for active public education & advocacy about these humble but nifty homes, their engaging background story, and the ongoing search for sympathetic new owers to join the effort to save these metal marvels for posterity.
Comment left on July 17, 2007 @ 7:08 pm
FYI, the most comprehensive Lustron-related site on the web is arguably the one created by Michael O’Neal, a Lustron owner in Des Moines, Iowa
There’s also a good series of articles posted here
Comment left on July 17, 2007 @ 7:20 pm
Hmm. Didn’t know there was a Lustron garage. Maybe that is what he has. The attached structure has a wood look and is colored to match the teal Lustron. Hard to see much about it from the street.
I am trying to track down the magazine so I can add more pictures or go by the house again.
Comment left on July 18, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
I’ve been a fan of Lustron homes for years. There is one on Fairmont Boulevard in North Knoxville. It’s across the street from Arlington Baptist Church. You would never know it if you didn’t look closely. The bastards who own it covered it in stucco and added some weird details. You can still see the steel roof though. It’s a shame what they’ve done.
Comment left on September 3, 2007 @ 9:08 pm
Wow. We walked over there not too long ago to find it and decided it must have been destroyed for the church parking lot. They must have really changed it!
Comment left on September 6, 2007 @ 7:54 pm
I like the sound of this modified Lustron in Knoxville.
http://WWW.Lustron Connection .ORG features an online picture exhibit of various Lustron homes. (And stories when available). The photos of the Knoxville Lustron would be an interesting addition if the owner or friends want to send photos of it. The site has an easy method for submitting photos.
Thanks, -Rick
Comment left on October 13, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
hello,
i bought a lustron home in columbus about a year ago. i am looking for ideas and maybe some direction in how to handle repairs/improvements that i need and want to do. especially the windows and gutters. if you want to get in contact with me that would be great.
thank you,
bjr
Comment left on March 28, 2008 @ 11:17 pm