DeWitt, N.Y. — While tidying up her home in anticipation of photographers coming around to shoot it before it went on the market, Diana Brownlie could not help but feel nostalgic.
"What a nifty house," she said to herself when she was finished.
Her home at 121 Manor Drive in DeWitt, near Le Moyne College, is also a unique part of American housing history.
There was a huge demand for new and affordable housing in the United States when American soldiers began coming home at the end of World War II. The demand created a housing shortage.
The Lustron Corporation of Columbus, Ohio, attempted to fill the void with what it called "the house America had been waiting for."
The Lustron was made from porcelain-enameled steel panels, that could be delivered to properties across the country and constructed in just a few days.
The all-metal construction was virtually maintenance free, needed no painting or wallpapering, and featured an open floor plan with built-in appliances and cabinetry.
Their price, size and convenience made them perfect for returning soldiers.
The homes were said to be able to "defy weather, wear, and time."
Diana Brownlie's two-bedroom yellow Lustron, constructed in 1946, is one of just roughly 2,500 which were built before the company declared bankruptcy in 1950.
She admitted she had never heard of them before she came across her future home in 2007 but she appreciated the "good design" of the house.
(Her husband was Alan Brownlie, founder of Skaneateles' Brownlie Design, so she has experience in what she is talking about.)
She says the Lustron is "very accessible" and extremely easy to clean and maintain.
The home makes good and efficient use of its relatively small space with built-in storage, shelving, and closets so that it never "feels cramped."
The open concept allows for "great flow" between the spacious front living room into the dining room and galley-style kitchen.
"It is very easy to use and clean," she says, "and has virtually no dust."
Solidly built, the Lustron easily stands up to whatever weather Central New York has to offer.
"I've never been cold there," Brownlie said, adding that it is "surprisingly cool" in the summer.
She calls the property's private, fenced-in backyard, with its trees, garden, and man-made pond with fountain, her "sanctuary."
Her dozen or so years living in the Lustron has "pleased me to no end," she said, but admits that the time has to come to sell.
Brownlie says the house would be great for a young person just starting out or an empty-nester.
Or anyone interested in owning an authentic piece of American history.
For more information about this home, please contact realtor Shauna Teelin of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. Her contact information is below.
THE DETAILS
Address: 121 Manor Drive, Syracuse, N.Y. 13214
Price: $89,900
Size: 978 square feet
Acreage: 7,500 square feet
Monthly Mortgage: $325 (based on this week's national average rate of 3.54%, according to Freddie Mac, for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20% down payment. Fees and points not included.)
Taxes: $1,126 (Based on assessed value of $55,000)
Built: 1946
School District: Syracuse
Kitchen: The "galley-style" kitchen has "perfect convenience." Everything is right at your fingertips and yet "never feels cramped." Appliances include an electric stove and a dishwasher. There is ample storage in the kitchen and is there is a convenient pantry/laundry room just off it. Serving and clean-up is "very simple."
Living areas: This original Lustron home is solid and built to withstand the test of time. It is great for anyone looking for "one-level living." Visitors enter the home at the spacious living room. The home features built-in sliding doors in the walls for storage and pocket doors throughout. Owner says there are no "thresholds or bumps" and is wheelchair accessible. The dining room offers views of the backyard.
Bedrooms: There are two bedrooms in the house. The master bedroom is very large and has a his-and-her vanity with mirror. There are three sliding door closets with built-in shelving and several storage units built into the walls. There is a large picture window with cloth accordion-style blinds.
Bathrooms: There is one bathroom in the house.
Outdoors: The large backyard is private and with six-foot high fencing, is both dog-proof and deer proof. The yard is framed by mature trees and plantings. The owner is proud of her garden and calls the space a "sanctuary." It includes a man-made pond and fountain and is home to frogs and toads. There is a storage shed. The front porch has a privacy fence. Owner says the home is located in a "friendly" neighborhood and is close to "all conveniences."
Agent: Shauna Teelin
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Address: 7840 Oswego Road, Liverpool, N.Y. 13090
Phone: (315) 506-3369
Email: shaunateelin@howardhanna.com
Website: shaunateelin.howardhanna.com
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If you know of a beautiful or interesting house currently up for sale, please consider sending a nomination for it to be featured as a future House of the Week. Send an email with the listing to home@syracuse.com.
Do you know of any older homes in Central New York which have fallen on hard times but have a lot of potential should they be restored to their original grandeur? A fixer-upper with a lot of potential? Consider nominating them to our new feature, "Save this Home," in which we will spotlight grand houses of the past around Central New York that need to be saved. Send nominations to home@syracuse.com.
