Wrap-Up: The Fate of the Major Players in the Customliner Saga

The National Homes Customliner was built inside the D.C. Armory as part of the 1955 Washington Home Show. Designated a featured attraction, it was viewed by more than 50,000 people.

At the end of the Home Show, the Customliner was moved to the Herndon Woods subdivision in Herndon, Virginia. A picture of the Customliner appeared in the Washington Post and Times Herald on March 27, 1955.

The Customliner remained in Herndon Woods until 2002. A demolition permit for the property was issued by the Town of Herndon on May 15 of that year. Although the actual date of demolition is not known, the first inspection of the home that now occupies the site took place on July 11, 2002.

The annual Washington Home Show continued at the D.C. Armory through the remainder of the 1950s and into the 1960s. Attractions for 1956 included "'Back Yard Vacationland,' which included a home with 'three standing walls' and an entire back yard meant to show 'homemakers how to stretch the family living area into the back yard.'" In 1957, attendees viewed a "Teen-Age Haven" (masculine and feminine versions) and a "'Miracle Kitchen sponsored by RCA Whirlpool to demonstrate possible future mechanical kitchen innovations.'"

Following the 1961 event, the next Washington Home Show was canceled over a dispute between Home Show sponsors and the District Armory Board. At that time, the Board implemented a $1 parking fee as a way to help finance a new stadium. According to James Pearson, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Washington, exhibitors balked at investing in displays when patrons might boycot the show over the new parking charge.

In 1963, the Home Show was replaced by a "Parade of Homes" which featured newly constructed homes on a street in northern Virginia.

Sources:

Home Show House Features Outdoor Living
The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959); Feb 13, 1955; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The Washington Post (1877 - 1991)
pg. G4

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

Colleen McKnight, Special Collections Librarian
Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

Building Inspections
Town of Herndon, Virginia