Rare Lustron home for sale in Clintonville
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A Lustron home in Clintonville at 214 Arden Road. Photos: Courtesy of Jennifer Schaaf/Columbus Pics
Here's your chance to own a quirky piece of history: A Lustron home is currently for sale in Clintonville.
Why it matters: It's one of about 2,500 built by a defunct Columbus company that tried to revolutionize the housing market with affordable, prefabricated models made of enameled steel.
The asking price: $379,900 for the 1,021-square-foot home with two bedrooms, one bathroom and a 2 1/2-car garage.
- The listing says it's in "exceptionally good condition" as far as Lustrons go.
Flashback: The Lustron Corporation, founded in 1946, hoped to address America's post-World War II housing shortage as soldiers came home.
- Its goal: mass-produce steel starter homes that could be assembled in neighborhoods in just three days. The factory was just north of Whitehall.
- Lustron "was considered a great leap forward in the viability and desirability of mass-produced housing," per the Ohio History Connection.
Yes, but: Lustron faced many financial issues and its homes actually took much longer than that to build. It went bankrupt in 1950.
The intrigue: So few remain that there's a Wikipedia list of those still standing.
- It's somewhat rare for one to hit the market, though this home on Arden Road previously changed hands in 2022.
Zoom in: A low-maintenance Lustron is ideal for both first-time buyers and folks wanting to age in place, as everything is on one floor and there are no outdoor stairs, Re/Max listing agent Mike McLaughlin tells Axios.
- It's been on the market for three weeks and has had several showings, but no takers.
What he's saying: So far, tourers seem "more interested in seeing a Lustron home than actually being in the market to purchase," McLaughlin says.
Perhaps not too surprising: They've become popular attractions.
- The Ohio History Center has a full-sized model on display as part of a 1950s exhibit.
- The Whitehall Historical Society meets in one that was relocated to a city park.
- And one in Mount Vernon is available as an Airbnb rental (a summer weekend will run you around $425).