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 [...]