William Levitt: Real Estate Developer and Innovator
William Levitt was an American real estate developer who created the first modern suburban communities of mass-produced homes in the 1940s and 1950s. He has been called the father of modern suburbanization and is widely recognized as a major innovator in the real estate industry. Levitt is regarded as a shrewd and creative business man who opened up opportunities for homeownership to millions of middle-class Americans.
Early Life
Born in New York in 1907, William Levitt was the son of a successful builder who developed Long Island’s Grand Boulevard. After attending Cornell University, Levitt joined his brother, Alfred, in the family business and began building apartment units in the 1930s. He served in the Navy during World War II, where he earned the rank of lieutenant commander, and the Levitt Brothers received the prestigious Army-Navy Production Award for the apartment complexes they helped construct for war workers.
Beginning of the Suburban Dream
Upon his return from the war, William Levitt and his brother set their sight on the Long Island village of Island Trees and purchased land with the intent of building an affordable mass housing development. Levitt had a unique vision for the project: he wanted to use assembly-line construction methods that had been developed for mass producing automobiles to build a suburban community of homes.
Levittown
Completed in 1951, Levittown, the first of many Levittowns, opened outside of New York City and quickly became a symbol of the burgeoning American Dream. The development included 17,000 cozy ranch homes, surrounded by a stately Town Square, that could be purchased at an affordable cost with a low down payment and no interest. The town also included several shopping centers, playgrounds, baseball fields, and a high school.
Transformative Business Method
William Levitt’s unorthodox business method revolutionized the housing industry, as it would soon be copied by developers across America. At the time, it was inconceivable that homes could be constructed so quickly and inexpensively. In order to build the homes, William and his brother set up an efficient system of assembly-line production. Craftsmen moved from one house to the next, working on each step in the construction process. This allowed for quick turn-over, and when the houses were finished, Levitt & Sons would rent the homes for one month, allowing time for the occupants to purchase them if they chose.
The Legacy of William Levitt
William Levitt’s innovative approach to housing development gave millions of middle-class Americans the chance to become homeowners. His affordable and efficient housing options are still sought-after in many parts of the country. Levitt was inducted into the National Association of Home Builders Hall of Fame in 2000 and will always be remembered as a bold innovator and the father of modern suburbanization.
Notable Achievements
Throughout his career, William Levitt was recognized with several awards for his accomplishments, including:
• The prestigious Army-Navy Production Award for the apartment complexes he helped construct for war workers
• An induction into the National Association of Home Builders Hall of Fame in 2000
• The Home Builder of the Millennium Award presented by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development
William Levitt was an innovative real estate developer and suburbanization pioneer who opened up homeownership opportunities to millions of middle-class Americans. His creative approach to housing development used mass production techniques to quickly and affordably construct suburban communities of homes. For his contributions, Levitt was honored by the real estate and home building industries, and his legacy continues to shape the dream of homeownership today.
