Bungalow Mania

See these Homes from Both Sides Now

"Bungalow Mania" seems to occur at the beginning of every century. At the beginning of the 20th Century bungalows were the saviours to the rising middle class — delivering them from inner city apartment living to a greater connection to the out of doors. Here at the beginning of the 21st century, bungalows are saving us again — from a different direction however. Resale 1900's bungalows are now liberating us from the bedroom communities that take us further and further from our jobs and mass transit, via cars and crowded highways.

Many reading this article may not be aware of anything called Bungalow Mania. It was a phenomenon that took place in the first half of the twentieth century. At its core, it was phenomenon borne out a middle class that could dare dream of owning their own home. Many had moved from their childhood farmhouse to an apartment in the city, as they pursued industrialized and white collar employment. This vast change in social demographic combined with a series of developments in mass transit, standardized housing materials and the Arts and Crafts movement to result in the establishment of hundreds of bungalow communities around the cities of North America.

It should be noted that the definition of a bungalow at the beginning of the 20th century is quite different from the post WWII bungalows that populated the broad suburbs between the 50's and 70's. This article refers to craftsman bungalow communities that were established from 1900 to 1940.

Then

The social shift from rural to urban lifestyles was greatly facilitated by the laying of railways systems across the country. Trains democratized travel and personal mobility and allowed many to emigrate into the cities. Within the cities themselves new kinds of rail networks were being laid such as the "L" trains in Chicago and New York and the Radial Cars in Toronto (so called for their routes that radiated out from the city core). For the first time, workers could live a greater distance from work than they could walk.

This new form of mass transit led the direction of development within the cities. One real estate developer in Chicago ran a series of newspaper ads stating "Where the 'L' goes, profit grows." Bungalow communities followed the radial lines out to parts of the city where land was much more available and therefore less expensive.

Like the railway, the industrialization of the 19th century had made its mark on industries such as lumber, masonry, and hardware. This resulted in an large increase of availability and standardization of building materials. Sawmills that had previously served only local markets now found they had customers for lumber on the other side of the country. It was at this time that standards for building materials such as the 2 x 4 (two by four) and a standard 'three penny nail' were created — and that was when a 2 x 4 was really a 2 x 4, not the 1.5 x 3 still called a 2 x 4 today.

Industrialization of building materials and national railway networks combined to create a brand new industry — mail order houses. Companies like Sears & Roebuck, Alladin and Montgomery Ward began producing catalogs of homes that could be purchased for as low as $900. For that price you could go down the closest rail station and pick up the contents of a boxcar that included everything from the varnish for the floors to the hardware for the doors. It all came with a houseplan and detailed instruction manual. Sears sold house styles other than the bungalow at this time, but as you can imagine when a citizen is building their own home, instruction manuals for one-storey designs became very popular.

The popularity of the bungalow design was not just the result of do-it-yourself builders, however. The effect of industrialization was not only felt in the house building industries, it was also having an effect on architecture and lifestyle. With origins in England, the Arts &Crafts movement responded directly to the industrialized Victorian age. Basic tenets of the movement strove for honesty in design, with a greater connection to nature. It was believed that we had lost something valuable when we moved from the farmhouse to the apartment terrace, and that efforts should be made to return to a simpler home life. A hallmark of this movement in the North America was the Craftsman bungalow. An honest well designed dwelling that provided space for how we really live.

Now

At the time of their creation, bungalow neighbourhoods were the suburbs. However in relation to the distance of today's suburbs, bungalow communities are now advertised as close to downtown. Their location is what prompting a whole new bungalow mania today. In a world after events like 9-11 and the 2002 blackout, many have rethought the merits of striving for a big lot and a large amount of square footage in their home. The price of these features is represented not only by their cost, but the time and hassle it takes on a daily basis to commute to and from these little mansions. Bungalow communities offer a home that is connected to mass transit, and in a worst case scenario, a "walkable" distance from downtown.

Those who are "settling" for a modest bungalow today are quickly learning that in addition to their home being well-located, it also happens to be of very sturdy construction with many finishings that would cost a fortune today. And then when they spend some time walking about their neighbourhood to the many stores at the end of their street, they meet all of their neighbours who doing the same thing. What a difference from the car-based society found a highway or two from where they are now.

If you need proof that Bungalows are back and popular as a style, all you need to do is go to the Home Decor section of a major book store and you will find countless titles that deal specifically with the Bungalow style. Good examples include: -- Updating Classic America Bungalows , Bungalow Kitchens, and The Not So Big House. On the news stands there are magazines like the American Bungalow. If you were to flip through some of those books you would see people across North America are working with architects to build new homes in the Bungalow style, and in some cases whole developments are being built using the arts and crafts design philosophies.

The early 20th Century Bungalow is a symbol for a time when houses were about quality over quantity and designed for how we live. A hundred years ago they were shamelessly touted as the answer to urban congestion, today they are quietly discovered as a wonderful answer to highway congestion.

For more information on the characteristics of an early 1900's bungalow see the Craftsman Bungalow.

— Brian R. Booth, March 2006

Post a Comment

I didn't realize the history of the bungalow style. In Canada bungalow simply means One Story of whatever style. Thanks for the information. — John

Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! fwblvnzdaixbft — cvnuxytxuf

House Proud

know your house style and proceed

Recent Articles

Know Your House ...

Proceed

Sponsored Links

Bungalow Mania

Then

Now