Library of Congress Stumped; Two Leads Come Up Dry

With no word yet from Dr. Martin, I made some phone calls in an effort to locate the Feb., 1955 Homebuilder's Monthly.

As suggested by the Fairfax County librarians, I got in touch with the Library of Congress. The reference librarian, Arlene, told me she would look into it and call me back. She gave me her direct extension as well. Funny ... I once worked in Congress and made official requests to the Library of Congress all the time. It seemed a little strange to have a staff member looking up something for me personally.

As promised, Arlene called back promptly, with "surprising" results. The Library of Congress did not have Homebuilder's Monthly in its collection, so she had done a search of academic library collections. Only one, Princeton University, contained partial holdings, but they only went back to 1961-1962. Well, at least that saves me from fruitless phone calls to university libraries around here.

Arlene suggested contacting the National Association of Home Builders. The Fairfax County librarians had suggested that too, so that was the next step.

"Our library is for [association] members only," was the first response I got when I called NAHB. However, when I explained what I was looking for, they put me in touch with their librarian anyway.

I explained my request again to the NAHB librarian, Linda. She told me she would look into it and call me back. She asked for my name and phone number.

"And what organization do you represent?"

I felt completely naked as I told her I was representing myself. I briefly wished I was still in Congress representing Senator So-and-so. I was sure my lack of clout would send the request to the bottom of Linda's work pile. So it was a pleasant surprise when she called back later the same day!

Unfortunately, Linda only found two individual issues in the association's library and neither were the one I was looking for. She did note that "people felt differently about archiving then." Seemed like an ominous note to my prospects for finding this publication. But I can't let this scavenger hunt divert me from my mission: to locate the Customliner!

My thanks again to Arlene and Linda.

Phone Call Made!

Dr. Martin now has my somewhat nervous request on his office voice mail. Hopefully, I will hear from him next week.

Meanwhile, I'll attempt to locate the February, 1955 issue of Home Builder's Monthly. If anyone has access to this volume, or knows where I might find it, please let me know!

Facing the Guru

I've had a key piece of information for almost a week now. But I haven't followed up on it yet.

It's a phone number for Historic Fairfax City. One of the reference librarians suggested I use it to get in touch with Christopher Martin, whose dissertation is cited in the previous posting. "He loves to talk subdivisions," the librarian said.

I could be one step away from learning the fate of the Customliner! And yet the phone number has languished in my notebook while I've been busy teaching music, cleaning house, feeding cats, etc.

I really haven't been that busy. It's that all-too-common fear of sounding stupid and of wasting an expert's precious time. I could have come up with excuses not to call for the next year or longer. But today, I read Hycho's inspiring comment. Thanks, Hycho, for helping me get out of my funk!

Tomorrow is my usual day to visit a local horse rescue organization. But tonight, I'm entering that phone number in my cellphone directory. Between mucking out stalls and brushing donkeys, I'll be putting in my first call to Dr. Martin. Stay tuned!

Resuming the Search

After a cold, a vacation, and, OK, quite a bit of foot-dragging, I am back on the trail of the 20th Century custom home.

First stop, the closest library branch. They referred me to the Virginia Room at Fairfax County's main library. I should have thought of that myself. The Virginia Room specializes in local history.

The main library recently moved into a spacious, inviting building (with ample parking). The Virginia Room has its own floor, above the echoes of crying babies and parents helping older children look for books. I spot someone at the information desk and explain what I'm looking for.

She is clearly intrigued with the subject matter. She's already familiar with National Homes, the company that manufactured the house. She also tells me that in 1965, streets were renumbered throughout Fairfax County. This may make it difficult to find an exact location for the house in question, which I'll now refer to as the Customliner.

Undaunted, she brings in two other librarians to assist in carrying out the mission. Before long, I am loaded down with reference books to review, websites to look at, and associations to contact.

I spent two hours flipping through the various books and getting lost in the past. In a dissertation on housing in the D.C. suburbs between 1946 and 1960, I found that the Customliner - the first of its kind, at least in this area - was reconstructed on its Herndon Woods site within 48 hours. Its arrival in Herndon Woods was greeted "with much fanfare."

Much to my disappointment, that was the end of the Customliner discussion. However, there's more information to be had in the February, 1955 issue of Home Builder's Monthly ... if I can find it.

Source:

Tract-House Modern: A Study of Housing Design and Consumption in the Washington Suburbs, 1946-1960 by Christopher T. Martin. Pages 259-260.

Still Searching ...

I have discovered that the 20th Century Home was moved to Herndon, Virginia, by March 27, 1955. Unfortunately, there was no information on the exact address. It may be time to call in the aid of a reference librarian.

I'm sorry to have missed the Home Show of 1955. For 80 cents, you could take in hourly demonstrations, witness a real wedding, and listen to the music of Jimmy Dean and his Texas Wildcats. And parking was free! Where would you find free parking these days in D.C.?

Sources:
Save on Short Lengths
The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Mar 27, 1955; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post (1877 - 1991)
pg. G10

Display Ad 3 -- No Title
The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Feb 26, 1955; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post (1877 - 1991)
pg. 4

How I Got the Idea, Part 2

The next day, I was in front of the search screen for the historical Washington Post, with no idea what to look for.

At one time I'd seen an article entitled "Homes of '55," so I decided to start there.

The search yielded 2813 hits. Yikes! When in doubt, start with the first page. I clicked on "Display Ad #96," dated January 2, 1955.

On the left side of the page were three pictures of neat but modest dwellings. The heading announced "No Matter What Your Income ... There's A National Home for You!" The pictured homes represented three models built by National Homes of Lafayette, Indiana. The Delta, Cabot, and Avalon models were all available for less than $10,000, including the cost of the lot.

What more could I learn about National Homes, which boasted production of "one out of every 48 homes being built in America"? I did a search on "National Homes."

This time, I learned that "a 60-foot Custom Line National Home" was to be built inside the D.C. Armory as part of the 1955 Home Show.

According to the article, the model, to be known as "A Home for the 20th Century," would have three bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, carport, "gas air conditioning and kitchen equipment," and would be "furnished in contemporary style by the Hecht Company." Dimensions: 45 feet long by 25 feet deep.

When the home show closed on February 27, the house was to be moved to Herndon, Virginia.

Did the Home for the 20th Century make it into the 21st Century? I was resolved to find out!

Sources:
Display Ad 96 -- No Title
The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Jan 2, 1955; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post (1877 - 1991) pg. AW6

Model Home To Be Built in 3 Days
The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Feb 6, 1955; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post (1877 - 1991)
pg. G4

How I Got the Idea, Part 1

Not long ago, I was trying to find a music store in an unfamiliar part of town. In the process, I made an unscheduled detour into the Fifties.

Actually, I was looking for a place to turn around. What I found was a house that seemed frozen in the Eisenhower Administration. The same was true of the car parked in the carport.

Instantly, my mind was racing with questions. Did the inside of the house evoke the same historical feeling as the outside? What had this neighborhood looked like when Ike was in office? Who owned the house now? The same family?

This isn't the first time I've felt such curiosity about these kinds of places. But I've never pursued this interest. After all, I'm busy with my private music studio and weekend performances. Plus my husband and I have a house that cries out for decluttering and a good paint job. So I usually let the curiosity fade and go on to other things.

Not this time.

When I returned home, I decided to post my experience on Barbara Sher's bulletin boards. It's a community of incredibly supportive people, and I knew someone would have some ideas on how I could expand my interest.

As expected, I received several terrific suggestions. The first one was to simply look at newspaper articles and ads from the 1950's. I already knew that I could access historical issues of the Washington Post through the public library website. I could do that between lessons ... from the comfort of my own home! Who knew it could be so easy?

So that's where the journey began.