As the first Lustrons to roll off the assembly line when the factory began limited production in October 1948, the Westchester is the quintessential Lustron. It is, in essence, the production version of the pilot “Esquire” model. Because it was highly visible and was manufactured throughout the company’s brief life, it ranks as the most popular model. The 2 bedroom design (model 02) is distinguished by a recessed corner porch at the entryway. This feature does not appear on the 3 bedroom version (model 03), which is completely rectangular in plan.
Westchester: The original and most popular design-”Planned for ideal living for a family who enjoy modern things to the utmost,” a Lustron brochure explained.
- 2 Bedrooms (Model 02)-This is essentially the same as the Esquire prototype.
- Dimensions: 31 feet by 35 feet
- Total size: 1,085 square feet
- Features: One corner is recessed for an entry porch measuring 6 feet by 12 feet.
- 3 Bedrooms (Model 03)
- Dimensions: 31 feet by 39 feet
- Total size: 1,209 square feet
- Features: Unlike the two-bedroom, the entry is not recessed but is protected by an attached canopy.
Westchester Deluxe and Standard: In 1949, Lustron revised the way it marketed Westchesters. It might have been at this time that the name “Westchester” was actually applied to this model. The Westchester line was divided into deluxe and standard options, both available with two or three bedrooms. The square footage and floor plans are the same as the original 02 and 03 models, and all came with a Thor combination dishwasher-clothes washer. Buyers could opt for a double sink instead of the Thor system to save $215 on the price of the house.
- Deluxe 2 and 3 Bedrooms (Models 02/03)
- Features: These models offer “many deluxe features including built-in bookshelves, bedroom vanity-storagewall, eleven closets and overhead storage cabinets, oil or gas radiant panel heating, Thor dishwasher-clotheswasher combination, china cabinet passthrough, large picture windows, large service and storage area,” a bay window, and floor tile. Kitchen wall panels are 2 feet square.
- Standard 2 and 3 Bedrooms (Models 021/031)
- Features: These models do not have as many built-in amenities or a bay window, and did not come with floor tile. The kitchen wall panels measure 2 feet by 8 feet.
Sources:
Lustron Corporation, sales information, typed mss., November 10, 1949.
“Cash for Lustron,” Time, February 10, 1947.
“Six New Lustron Homes Introduced; Price of One Model Slashed $2,000,” Columbus Citizen, January 26, 1950.
Lustron Corporation, “Fact Sheet,” n.d., attached to letter from Carl G. Strandlund to “editor,” January 17, 1950.
June 9th, 2010 at 4:04 am
[...] clicking around on the Lustron Preservation site, it looks to me like this house is the Westchester model, which was the most popular and was based on the prototype Esquire model. It’s the same model [...]
June 15th, 2011 at 11:57 am
Westchester model for sale in Milwaukee Wi. $39,900 being sold AS IS
August 8th, 2011 at 9:52 am
I have an esquire model that we will be disassembling here in Wisconsin in the next two weeks . I have a working pocket door and closet doors. I have one of the latches that the door locks on to as well that I have been offered 70 dollars for it because it is original and hard to come by. I may find the other 2 as we disassemble it. I will part out the whole house or sell what is left of it to one person for 5k. I will need your parts or the entire house to be removed from property asap once we get the demo permit from the city. There are some parts missing already. 16 of the outside tiles have been sold and 33 pieces of the roof have been sold as well. The existing batroom sink is now broken due to vandals. There are still lots of original parts of this home for sale. call for pics and I can email them to you. 765-470-2343 ask for Steve.
October 26th, 2011 at 6:50 am
[...] you can see, our Clarksdale Lustron is the same Westchester model as the Jackson house, but it’s had at least one alteration in the enclosure of the little [...]
May 22nd, 2012 at 5:01 pm
[...] member Darren Snow snapped this photograph of a gray Lustron in New Haven, Missouri. The house is a Westchester, the most popular model manufactured by the Lustron Corporation. Lustron launched sales of the [...]