A Postwar Housing Boom.

In the second half of the decade the United States began to experience what would become the largest housing boom in its history. The economic expansion stimulated by the war translated into more money in the pockets of many people who dreamed of owning a house. Thanks to the GI Bill, veterans enjoyed access to low-interest housing loans and assistance with down payments. These factors meant that after 1945 many Americans were buying houses, often in the newly developed suburbs. The housing options facing American home buyers were eclectic, ranging from the utilitarian to the elegant.

Choices of Styles.

The great need for houses in the postwar years was met with an explosion of construction, a refinement of mass production, and a broad mix of styles. In southern California architects revived the Stick style, first introduced at the turn of the...