Levittown

Levittowns are six large suburban housing developments, three of which are actually named "Levittown." They were created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and their new families, the communities offered attractive alternatives to cramped central city locations and apartments. The Veterans Administration and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) guaranteed builders that qualified veterans could buy housing for a fraction of rental costs. Under Levitt & Sons, Levittown housing would maintain racial covenants that excluded non-White would-be buyers. The first Levittown house sold for $7,900, and in a short period of time 17,000 units were sold, providing homes for 84,000 people. In addition to single-family dwellings, Levittowns provided private meeting areas, swimming pools, public parks, and recreational facilities. Production was modeled on assembly lines in 27 steps with construction workers trained to perform one step. A house could be built in one day, with 36 workers, when effectively scheduled. This enabled quick and economical production of similar or identical houses with rapid recovery of costs. Standard Levittown houses included a white picket fence, green lawns, and modern appliances. Sales in the original Levittown began in March 1947. 1,400 houses were purchased during the first three hours. The houses were, by later standards, quite small: 750 sq ft (70 m2), with no basement or porch.