Christeele Acres Historic District

Last updated
Christeele Acres Historic District
USA Utah location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationRoughly bounded by State St., 900 South, 450 East, and 1010 South, Orem, Utah
Coordinates 40°16′46″N111°41′6″W / 40.27944°N 111.68500°W / 40.27944; -111.68500 Coordinates: 40°16′46″N111°41′6″W / 40.27944°N 111.68500°W / 40.27944; -111.68500
Area10.5 acres (4.2 ha)
Built1943
Architectural styleFHA minimum house
MPS Orem, Utah MPS
NRHP reference No. 99001626 [1]
Added to NRHPDecember 30, 1999

Christeele Acres Historic District is a residential subdivision in Orem, Utah, built in 1943 as housing for workers at the Geneva Steel plant during World War II. The historic district includes 62 single-family houses and three duplexes. [2] The houses were built to Federal Housing Administration (FHA) "minimum house" standards, which were considered to be the minimum size of a house necessary for a family with three persons or a family with two small children. The houses had two bedrooms and approximately 700 square feet (65 m2) of living space. [2] :35:6

In May 1941, the United States government asked U.S. Steel to ramp up plans to build steel plants to service shipyards on the Pacific Coast. Most of the steel plants in the United States at this time were in the eastern United States, and there was not enough railroad capacity to bring all of the necessary steel westward. At the same time, a steel plant located directly on the coast would have been vulnerable to a coastal invasion, so the decision was made to build the plant inland. On February 4, 1942, the government announced plans to build the steel plant in Orem. [2] :12

The construction and operation of the steel plant required several thousand construction workers, which in turn required housing. [2] :13 The situation in Orem was similar to that in many other cities where defense industries were located. The housing shortage was most acute in 1942, where workers flocked to cities where war production was thriving, only to find that there was not enough housing available. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Housing Agency to oversee sixteen government programs that were responsible for housing. This included the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The Federal Public Housing Authority was assigned to build the necessary public housing for the war effort, while the FHA provided mortgage underwriting. [2] :15–16

The FHA "minimum house" program was an outgrowth of the Great Depression, when the home building industry slowed severely and mortgage foreclosures were rising sharply. The FHA sponsored a conference targeted at reforming the home financing structure in the United States, improving the affordability of housing for the middle and lower income groups, and stimulating the homebuilding industry. In 1936, the FHA published a book, Principles of Planning Small Houses, which featured five different home patterns. The main design principle was, "providing a maximum accommodation within a minimum of means," so the floor plans omitted nonessential spaces and unnecessary ornamentation. The conference also planned labor- and time-saving construction methods, standard building codes, and basic requirements for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems. The house plans could be built with a variety of materials, such as wood, brick, concrete block, shingles, stucco, or stone. Houses could be customized by varying the external finish types, placement on the lot, or other changes, giving the neighborhood a more pleasing appearance. The experience of builders who built homes on a large scale gave rise to the trend of tract housing. [3]

The War Production Board had jurisdiction over raw materials that could be used to produce houses, so the FHA had to justify the need for those materials. At the same time, the National Housing Agency did not want to build temporary dormitories or shanties that would end up abandoned after the war. The war workers had families and needed to be treated as civilians, not as soldiers. The FHA wanted the housing to remain as livable communities long after the war ended. During the process of negotiation with the War Production Board, tight standards were enacted, in order to reduce the amount of lumber and metal in the production process. One standard even specified how many brass keys could be made per lock. An April 1945 report noted that over 800,000 houses had been built and would remain a permanent part of the nation's housing stock. [2] :16–17

The district is considered significant within the history of Orem, at a time when the city was evolving from a farm village into a large city with industrial and commercial development. The government programs, which produced wartime defense housing, later influenced postwar subdivision development. The National Register nomination cites its importance within social history, politics and government, industry, and military areas. [2] :11

Related Research Articles

Federal Housing Administration U.S. government agency responsible for mortgage insurance

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), also known as the Office of Housing within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is a United States government agency founded by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, created in part by the National Housing Act of 1934. The FHA insures mortgages made by private lenders for single-family properties, multifamily rental properties, hospitals, and residential care facilities. FHA mortgage insurance protects lenders against losses. If a property owner defaults on their mortgage, FHA pays a claim to the lender for the unpaid principal balance. Because lenders take on less risk, they are able to offer more mortgages. The goal of the organization is to facilitate access to affordable mortgage credit for low- and moderate-income and first-time homebuyers, for the construction of affordable and market rate rental properties, and for hospitals and residential care facilities in communities across the United States and its territories.

Public housing Residential properties owned by a government

Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local.

Lustron house

Lustron houses are prefabricated enameled steel houses developed in the post-World War II era United States in response to the shortage of homes for returning G.I.s by Chicago industrialist and inventor Carl Strandlund. Considered low-maintenance and extremely durable, they were expected to attract modern families who might not have the time or interest in repairing and painting conventional wood and plaster houses. Lustron production ceased in 1950 due to the company's inability to pay back the startup loans it had received from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Over 2,000 homes were constructed during the Lustron's brief production period, and many remain in use today. Several have been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Mobile home Prefabricated structure attached to a chassis

A mobile home is a prefabricated structure, built in a factory on a permanently attached chassis before being transported to site. Used as permanent homes, or for holiday or temporary accommodation, they are often left permanently or semi-permanently in one place, but can be moved, and may be required to move from time to time for legal reasons.

Company town Town where stores and housing are owned by one company that is the main employer

A company town is a place where practically all stores and housing are owned by the one company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schools, markets and recreation facilities. They are usually bigger than a model village.

FHA insured loan US Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance

An FHA insured loan is a US Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance backed mortgage loan that is provided by an FHA-approved lender. FHA mortgage insurance protects lenders against losses. They have historically allowed lower-income Americans to borrow money to purchase a home that they would not otherwise be able to afford. Because this type of loan is more geared towards new house owners than real estate investors, FHA loans are different from conventional loans in the sense that the house must be owner-occupant for at least a year. Since loans with lower down-payments usually involve more risk to the lender, the home-buyer must pay a two-part mortgage insurance that involves a one-time bulk payment and a monthly payment to compensate for the increased risk. Frequently, individuals "refinance" or replace their FHA loan to remove their monthly mortgage insurance premium. Removing mortgage insurance premium by paying down the loan has become more difficult with FHA loans as of 2013.

Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park National Historical Park of the United States

Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park is a United States national historical park located in Richmond, California, near San Francisco. The park preserves and interprets the legacy of the United States home front during World War II, including the Kaiser Richmond Shipyards, the Victory ship SS Red Oak Victory, a tank factory, housing developments and other facilities built to support America's entry into World War II. In particular, the role of women and African-Americans in war industries is explored and honored.

Detroit, the largest city in the state of Michigan, was settled in 1701 by French colonists. It is the first European settlement above tidewater in North America. Founded as a New France fur trading post, it began to expand during the 19th century with American settlement around the Great Lakes. By 1920, based on the booming auto industry and immigration, it became a world-class industrial powerhouse and the fourth-largest city in the United States. It held that standing through the mid-20th century.

State housing

State housing is a system of public housing in New Zealand, offering low-cost rental housing to residents on low to moderate incomes. Some 69,000 state houses are managed by Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, most of which are owned by the Crown. In excess of 31,000 former state houses exist, which are now privately owned after large-scale sell-offs during recent decades. Since 2014, state housing has been part of a wider social housing system, which also includes privately owned low-cost housing.

Housing Act of 1949 Landmark, sweeping expansion of the federal role in mortgage insurance in the U.S.

The American Housing Act of 1949 was a landmark, sweeping expansion of the federal role in mortgage insurance and issuance and the construction of public housing. It was part of President Harry Truman's program of domestic legislation, the Fair Deal.

The United States Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was designed primarily to address the subprime mortgage crisis. It authorized the Federal Housing Administration to guarantee up to $300 billion in new 30-year fixed rate mortgages for subprime borrowers if lenders wrote down principal loan balances to 90 percent of current appraisal value. It was intended to restore confidence in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by strengthening regulations and injecting capital into the two large U.S. suppliers of mortgage funding. States are authorized to refinance subprime loans using mortgage revenue bonds. Enactment of the Act led to the government conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Harriman Historic District Historic district in Pennsylvania, United States

The Harriman Historic District is located in the northern section of Bristol, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a 17-acre (6.9 ha) residential area with 109 buildings, mostly houses, and the local secondary school.

Levitt & Sons was a real estate development company founded by Abraham Levitt and later managed by his son William Levitt. The company is most famous for having built the town of Levittown, New York. The company's designs and building practices revolutionized the home building industry and altered the north eastern landscape of the United States with massive suburban communities.

Prefabs in the United Kingdom

Prefabs were a major part of the delivery plan to address the United Kingdom's post–Second World War housing shortage. They were envisaged by war-time prime minister Winston Churchill in March 1944, and legally outlined in the Housing Act 1944.

Lustron Houses of Jermain Street Historic District Historic district in New York, United States

The Lustron Houses of Jermain Street Historic District is located along that street in Albany, New York, United States. It consists of five prefabricated homes built by the Lustron Corporation after World War II. It was recognized as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.

Detroit Wall United States historic place

The Detroit Eight Mile Wall, also referred to as Detroit's Wailing Wall, Berlin Wall or The Birwood Wall, is a one-foot-thick (0.30 m), six-foot-high (1.8 m) separation wall that stretches about 12 mile (0.80 km) in length. 1 foot is buried in the ground and the remaining 5 feet is visible to the community. It was constructed in 1941 to physically separate black and white homeowners on the sole basis of race. The wall no longer serves to racially segregate homeowners and, as of 1971, both sides of the barrier have been predominantly black.

Council house Form of public or social housing in the United Kingdom

A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 after the Housing Act 1919 to the 1980s, with much less council housing built since then. There were local design variations, but they all adhered to local authority building standards. The Housing Acts of 1985 and 1988 facilitated the transfer of council housing to not-for-profit housing associations with access to private finance, and these new housing associations became the providers of most new public-sector housing. By 2003, 36.5% of the social rented housing stock was held by housing associations.

Seaside Village Historic District Historic district in Connecticut, United States

Historic Seaside Village Co-operative encompasses a primarily residential area in the South End of Bridgeport, Connecticut. It is bounded on the east by Iranistan Avenue, the north by South Avenue, the south by Forest Court and by the west by Alsace Street. The property consists of a densely built collection of brick rowhouses, arranged in irregular combinations. The village was developed during World War I to alleviate a housing shortage caused by an influx of workers hired to work in the city's munitions factories. It is a good example of an early government-funded project of this type, and was a collaborative design effort by R. Clipston Sturgis, Skinner & Walker, and Arthur Shurtleff. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Ernest Eggiman House Historic house in Wisconsin, United States

The Ernest Eggiman House is a prefabricated house assembled in 1936 in Madison, Wisconsin. It was a product called the Motohome - an attempt to provide fast, inexpensive housing during the Great Depression. In 1994 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the only Motohome in Wisconsin.

Eight Mile-Wyoming area is located nearly 10 miles (16 km) from Paradise Valley on the northern boundary of Detroit and minimally resembled inner-city neighborhoods. Originally settled in the 1920s by thousands of optimistic migrant farmers, the area became a settlement opportunity for Blacks to construct and own their own homes. The area was fought over for development and housing projects for decades and represented an isolated concentration of Blacks in a vast population of whites.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Korral Broschinsky, of the City of Orem Historic Preservation Commission (November 19, 1999). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Christeele Acres Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2011-06-02. and accompanying photos
  3. "House and Yard: The Design of the Suburban Home". National Register Bulletin: Historic Residential Suburbs. 2002. Retrieved 2011-06-02.