1961 Model Home on G Street Then & Now

Ever since I saw the scene in the movie Back to the Future in which the Michael J. Fox character has been transported to the 1950's, and is dumbfounded to be standing at the entrance to the not-yet-built Lyon Estates, I've been fascinated by vintage ads for Lorain housing developments. There's something kind of cool to me about seeing early drawings or plans for real estate projects that are now decades old.

Since I look at a lot of newspaper microfilm from the 1950's and 60's at the Lorain Public Library, I see a lot of ads for brand new housing developments and model homes, since that was Lorain's great postwar growth period.

I thought the ad for the bi-level model home shown above in the May 6, 1961 Lorain Journal was somewhat interesting. I lived in 1950's and 1960's ranches on the west side of Lorain while growing up, and a 1940's colonial on the east side after I got married – but I've never lived in a bi-level or a split level. But at some point those styles were pretty popular. I wonder if anyone still builds them?

Anyway, on Sunday I drove over to where this model home is located (near the intersection of Missouri Ave. and G Street) and was happy to see that it is still a handsome home. It has a pretty nice size lot (and a good looking lawn too, thanks to all the rain we've had recently).