My “brick ranch” google alert pops up with great stuff all the time. If you read this blog you know how I feel about brick ranch homes, but I love to share what other people are saying, so off we skip to the PinkAndChocolateBrown Blog. Looking for a house in Lexington KY, the blogger is working out her preconceived notions about the ubiquitous brick ranch:
Yes the dreaded ranch house, bane of suburban existence and possibly the biggest cliche in American architecture, is looking like my best choice in this market for several reasons. For starters, there are a LOT of them. The post-war housing construction boom obviously continued well up through the 1960s in Lexington, because there are blocks and blocks of ’60s brick ranch houses in this city. Also, they tend to be affordable and modestly sized, predating the McMansion craze. Brick construction is ostensibly more sturdy than the popular vinyl siding of today, and a lot of these mid-century suburbs are now comparatively close to the city center, as town has expanded beyond them. So there are tons of good reasons to consider ranch houses. But I was recently reminded of a statement I made when I was about 22 - that I would never, ever want to live in a boring, generic ranch house. Oh my hubris! This was clearly before I got a grip on the real estate market here and the realities of mortgage calculation.
I will say, though, that I prefer the ranch in all its midcentury glory to the ubiquitous front-garage houses filling up modern suburbs. You know what I’m talking about…
Yes, I do know what she is talking about, and you can read all about it here.
More about ranch homes from Tucson AZ where some are considering the historic significance of the brick ranch.
It may take some time for most to appreciate the ranch house, which Jeffery said represents an entire value system — social, political, economic and aesthetic — that came into play during the biggest blossoming of American development.
The baby boom that followed World War II gave a demographic push. Economic good times created a middle class and a larger market for home ownership. The blossoming car culture made suburbs possible. The U.S. government promoted mortgages through the Federal Housing Administration.
The ranch house wasn’t simply a type of architecture. It was the emblem of a changing way of life.
“We may look and say it’s not the most beautiful architecture, but it’s certainly the most significant,” Jeffery said.
“It is one of the most important periods of American history,” said Debbie Abele, who conducted a study of Tucson’s post-war development for the city’s Department of Urban Planning and Design.
“What people call banal or nondescript was a standardizing of building parts that made home ownership available to a larger percentage of the population than ever before,” said Abele, a consultant who also serves as the city of Scottsdale’s historic preservation officer.
Read about how the ubiquitous Tucson ranch house is gaining historic cache here.
There is a great brick ranch in Huber Heights Ohio, and plenty more to choose from. Let me know how I can help you find your way to a home of your dreams.
