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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Hidden Plainfield: Plainfield's answer to Levittown


A home in the original configuration, with period aluminum awnings.

One of the curved streets that gave interest to the development.

Though considered relatively well-developed, Plainfield still had enough undeveloped land and infill lots at the end of World War II to absorb a considerable amount of the pressure for new housing created by returning veterans who were starting their families.

One location in particular lent itself to the kind of mass-produced, assembly-line style housing development popularized on the East Coast by William J. Levitt (see here), whose Levittown on Long Island was the first of the great postwar suburban developments.

Though known as the 'Inventor of the Suburb' for his development of planned, affordable communities, pitched and sold through model homes displaying the amenities buyers would get (including state-of-the-art kitchens), Levitt was also responsible for extending the conventional racism of the times to making these new communities 'whites only'.

Do you know where Plainfield's answer to Levittown is? How about similar developments in North Plainfield and South Plainfield?

Answer tomorrow.



-- Dan Damon [follow]

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stirling St and Jean Terrace off East 7th st

Anonymous said...

Sterling Street ....Brisbane Estates

Dorrie Neisel Johnson said...

My answer is near Moffett Ave. and Park Ave. I lived at 12 10 Moffett Ave. on what was Moffett Farm (do you have any info on that?) and there were quite a few homes of this type in that area.

Unknown said...

Yes, the Bainbridge Estates off East Seventh Street and Terrill Road.

Michael Townley said...

Brisbane Estates off East Seventh in Plainfield; Geary Drive area off Plainfield Avenue in South Plainfield; Oakridge/Warfield area and Richard Way in North Plainfield.

Ron said...

That looks like over by Frances Ln/Coolidge st. between leland and Terrill. I believe Glenside place in North Plainfield is another example.

Pat Turner Kavanaugh said...

off sterling street,,,under reconstruction for about 60 days from 6 august

Anonymous said...

I not only know the exact address, but I know the owner. She is LIVID that you chose to invade her privacy but drawing attention to her house. She does not remember you asking permission to post a picture of the house on the internet. Did you ever consider asking permission of the homeowner before you take photos of the house?