Resident wants to save historic Lustron houses in Brentwood
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Brentwood resident Barry Williams recently sent a letter to Brentwood Mayor David Dimmitt, encouraging a Lustron historic district along Litzsinger Road to protect the eight Lustron houses between Annalee Avenue and High School Drive. He said that with property values rising, the historic enameled steel houses are endangered. Williams’ letter to Mayor Dimmitt:
Dear Mayor Dimmitt,
With land values soaring in Brentwood and large houses now all the rage, our city’s remaining Lustron houses are clearly endangered. I therefore would like to see Brentwood establish a Lustron historic district along Litzsinger Road to protect the 8 consecutive Lustrons between Annalee and High School. These unique steel houses are now over 70 years old – more than old enough to quality for federal “historic” status – and few cities possess as many of them per capita as Brentwood does. (Brentwood may actually be Number 1 per capita!) But if a special historic district is not possible, I would like to see the City reserve a site in one of its parks to which one or two of these houses could eventually be moved. Perhaps they could be rented out for special events. I feel it’s important that one or two of these historic houses be preserved in Brentwood, especially in light of their ties to the St. Louis Cardinals’ DeWitt Family. Williams also included, in an email to 40 South, a link to a national Lustron locator, which shows Brentwood’s 12 surviving Lustrons along with two that were recently demolished.
