Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Contact: Cynthia Liccese-Torres 703-228-3831 (voice) (TTY)
Arlington Sets Up House in New York City
Historic Lustron house on loan to Museum of Modern Art
ARLINGTON, VA – Arlington’s best-preserved historic Lustron home will soon be the entryway to a new exhibit about prefabricated architecture at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The Arlington County Board today approved an agreement to lend, at no cost to the County, Arlington's Clifford M. Krowne Lustron House to MoMA.
“MoMA’s financing of this project provides a remarkable opportunity,” says County Board Chairman J. Walter Tejada. “Having Arlington’s own Lustron home on display at this internationally renowned museum showcases our community as a leader in historic preservation.”
This historic Lustron house was donated to Arlington County by Clifford M. Krowne. Lustron homes are prefabricated, all-metal houses produced after World War II.
Background
In April 2006, the County Board accepted the donation of the historic, all-metal Lustron house from property owner Dr. Clifford M. Krowne. Over the course of a month, the County then disassembled the building and placed it in temporary storage. Last year, MoMA learned of Arlington’s Lustron disassembly and asked to feature the house in an upcoming exhibit. The MoMA exhibit, “Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling,” opens July 20 and runs through October 20. MoMa is paying for the transportation and assembly of the house.
About Lustron Homes
Lustron homes are prefabricated, all-metal houses produced after World War II. Only 2,680 Lustrons were built nationwide between 1948 and 1950. Arlington now has only five of its original 11 Lustron homes. The Krowne Lustron House, built in 1949, is a Westchester Deluxe 02 model with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and 1,085 square feet of living space on one level.
Lustron homes had open floorplans, space-saving built-in cabinetry, and maintenance-free and fireproof all-steel construction.
The design and manufacture of Lustrons aimed not just to satisfy an overwhelming and immediate need for affordable housing after the war, but to raise the quality of living for middle-class Americans. Lustrons were ingenious not only in their materials, but also for their open floor plan, space-saving built-in cabinetry, and maintenance-free , fireproof all-steel construction. Today, throughout the nation, because of their small size and unusual construction, Lustrons are at great risk for demolition and are becomingly increasingly rare.
Learn more about Lustron Houses.
See photos in the published booklet (PDF): The Illustrious Lustron: A Guide for the Disassembly and Preservation of America’s Modern Metal Marvel.
For detailed historical and technical information, visit: www.lustronpreservation.org.
View the "Lustron Legacy" video.
Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the "10 miles square" parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for "Smart Growth" in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world - including the Pentagon - Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.