Levittown in Boulder: Martin Acres and a Levitt house plan.
Boulder has had about one third of its growth until now in the three decades after World War II, so the recently completed survey of housing from that period, which largely treats some ten subdivisions, is a useful read for those who want to see how the city developed in that period.
Martin Acres, one of Boulder’s largest housing projects, was developed by the Williams Brothers (High Country Homes), and is a good local example of inexpensive, large scale single-family housing. Its curved streets and two- to three-bedroom houses based on a handful of simple plans and elevations are typical of suburban developments built everywhere in the country during those years.
One of the first, and for better or worse of iconic status, were the Levittowns-in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, created by the Levitt Brothers and their father beginning in 1947 and finishing in the late ‘50s. Building on their earlier real estate and development experience (including a large housing project for the FHA, then work with the Navy Seabees during the war), they were able to quickly construct small, affordable houses needed for military veterans and their families. Lest we make the mistake of thinking that the study of cookie-cutter dwellings will lead to no epiphanies in architectural history, it is good to note that the architect of the family, Alfred, had paid for an apprenticeship with Frank Lloyd Wright. Others have observed that he did make use of some Wrightian motifs and ideas in his designs; radiant heating from concrete slab foundations, open floor plans for the public areas and kitchen, fireplace near the core of the house with access from more than one room, and the use of built-ins where possible.
But back to Martin Acres; not only was it Levittown on a small scale, but among the few house designs is one that came from the drawing tables of the Levitts themselves three years earlier. Built in 1957 on South 40th, South 45th, and on Martin Drive from its intersection with 45th to Table Mesa are several examples of the Williams Brothers version of the Levitt Jubilee, a model with origins in the second Levittown, a suburb of Philadelphia. The house has a footprint of 26 by 45 feet including the garage, a steeply pitched roof with gables facing the sides, centered front door, and front-facing single car garage. The garage roof has a rear section with lower pitch, which gives the house its distinctive appearance from that side. At the right above is the Boulder version; below it are illustrations of the originals. The Boulder version is about a foot wider and longer, which is probably due to the addition of brick sheathing, which adds to rather than replaces the frame walls. The Boulder version had a few variations as well; a large front-facing gable opposite the garage added a few extra square feet, and some examples had a small decorative gable above the front door. As well, the Boulder Jubilees tended to place the front door in the middle of the façade rather than slightly off center. Some of the Boulder structures have basements and some don’t, but whether or not the Levitts were using radiant heat in their slabs, the Williams Brothers weren’t; they used forced air.
It remains to be discovered (by me, at least) why and how the Williamses acquired this design. Based on a quick bicycle tour of the area it appears to be the only model used by both builders. But I’ll look further and report back.
