Vail Avenue, 920 North

Several of these porcelain - steel Lustron homes were built in Arlington Heights. They were very efficient kit homes built between 1948 and 1950 and approximately 2,600 of these were produced in the United States. They were easily identified by their steel two foot square metal siding panel units and came in four colors: yellow, blue, tan and gray. The Lustron panels were patented in 1947. They were warm in winter, cool in summer and nearly impossible to enlarge. Only a couple of those built in Arlington Heights have survived. The Lustron company had various production problems and defaulted on its loans, one of which was a 1947 loan from the federal Reconstruction Finance Corp. for $15.5 million. The company declared bankruptcy and ceased production in 1950. This item is part of the collection of the Arlington Heights Historical Society (http://www.ahmuseum.org.