Name: Period:

Levittown and Suburbanization of the 1950s

Use the internet and http://www.statemuseumpa.org/levittown/ to find the
answers and photos for the project.
Image of Levittown Housing

How many single family homes were made in Levittown, PA?

Planning, Building and Selling

What did Levittown advertise itself as being?

Paste a photo of an advertisement for

a home in Levittown

How much did a home in Levittown cost?

Levitt used mass production methods to build his housing developments, why do you think
Levitt would be known as the “Henry Ford of Housing?”
 Before Development
Include a photo of one of Levitt’s developments before he started
construction

After Development

Include a photo of one of Levitt’s developments after construction

was complete

What occupied the space he built his first development prior to construction?

What did US Steel create in nearby Fairless Hills that attracted people to Levittown?
 What sorts of buildings/recreation centers were built in the community?

Image of a type of building built to help Image of a type of building built to help
the community the community

What is in this photo? What is in this photo?

Image of a type of recreational place Image of a type of recreational place built

built in the community in the community

What is in this photo? What is in this photo?

 Different House Models
What were the names of the different house models that he built? How many home models
were built?

Insert photo of an advertisement from one of Insert photo of an advertisement from another
the home models one of the home models

Insert another advertisement photo of one of Insert another advertisement photo of one of the
the home models home models

What were four characteristics most of the house models shared?

 What are two steps Levitt took to cut costs and make the homes less expensive?

What kinds of trees were provided as a part of the landscaping for the homes?

Include a photo of the landscaping plans for the

homes

How many houses were built and how many years did it take to build them?

What are two ways in which Levitt advertised the neighborhoods?

How were the majority of homes in Levittown financed?

What bill that we have talked about in the past do you suppose helped the veterans to
purchase these homes?
 The Suburban Way

Include a photo of a family moving in to one of the

homes

What was the average age of the couples moving into the homes and the average age of their
children?

What food item would be delivered to the homes that you would not generally think of being
delivered?

What was the name of the elementary school built in the town?

What famous person came to the opening of the school?

Put in photo of the kids going to school

 What was the name of the shopping mall created in the community?

What were some of the stores at the mall?

How many stores were in the mall?

Include a picture of the mall

What two presidential candidates in the 1960 election made campaign stops in Levittown?

Include a photo of one of the Include a photo of the other candidate

candidates. Put the person’s name
underneath the photo box.
 Describe a typical 1950s kitchen? What kinds of appliances were in it?

Show a picture from one of the kitchens

Visit: http://tigger.uic.edu/~pbhales/Levittown/building.html
Describe family life in a typical household in Levittown.

Add a photo that shows family life in a household in

Levittown
 Reflection:
Does this seem like a good community to live in?

What aspects of this community make it seem like a great place to raise a family?

How do you suppose the relatively low price of these homes helped low income families live a
better life?

Write a paragraph as if you are part of a young couple with a kid and you just bought a house at
Levittown. Think of how great the opportunity would be to own a home, especially if you grew
up in a poor immigrant family. Be sure to write about how excited you feel that you get an
opportunity to live the American Dream