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Summary
Einar and Alice Borton House
1819 Lyndale Avenue, Eau Claire, Eau Claire County
Architect: Lustron Corporation
Construction Date: 1949
The Einar and Alice Borton house is a highly intact example of the prefabricated all-metal houses designed and built by the Lustron Corporation between 1948 and 1950. Up to the end of World War II, prefabricated houses in the United States had been largely confined to the pre-cut catalog houses sold by companies such as Sears-Roebuck, Aladdin, Montgomery-Ward and others. The unprecedented need for housing at the end of the war made it necessary for the federal government to explore more innovative, even radical ideas to meet the needs of the millions of returning veterans. Of those that were realized, none was more modern or more innovative than the Lustron Corporation built houses. Lustron houses are basically small, either two or three bedroom single-story Ranch Style houses that have steel frames, enameled steel panel exterior walls, and simple, shallow-pitched gable roofs sheathed in enameled steel shingles. Lustron interiors feature enameled steel panel walls; they have numerous factory provided built-in steel storage spaces, as well as factory-supplied sinks, and bathtubs. All of these elements are found in the Borton house.
Einar Borton was a teller at the American National Bank & Trust Co. in Eau Claire and the Lustron house he and his wife, Alice, bought was one of the four identical Westchester deluxe model two-bedroom Lustron houses built in Eau Claire between 1949 and 1950. The other three are located at 1831 Badger Ave. (one block south of the Borton house), at 1700 Fairway St., and in the 900 block of N. Hillcrest Parkway.
The Borton House is a private residence. Please respect the rights and privacy of the residents.
Property Details
| Criteria | Architecture/Engineering |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Architecture |
| Period of Significance | 1949 |
| Architectural Style | Other |
| Architect | Lustron Corporation |
| Resource Type | Building |
| Historic Use | Single Dwelling |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 1 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Contributing Objects | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 1 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
| Historic Status | Listed in the State Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Nov 16, 2012 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Jul 23, 2013 |
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
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