Lustron House at 3498 McKenzie Drive
Why it's listed
Built around 1949 in Macon, this small one-story house at 3498 McKenzie Drive is a Lustron, a prefabricated home made of porcelain-enameled steel panels. It is the Newport two-bedroom model, measures 713 square feet, and sits on a concrete slab. Gray two-foot-square exterior panels, dark green tile-like steel shingles and aluminum casement windows remain. Inside, enameled steel panels cover the walls and ceilings, and flush steel pocket doors slide on overhead tracks. Changes include a remodeled kitchen, replaced exterior doors, central heating and air conditioning, and a rear addition. It is one of 22 Lustrons built in Georgia and the only known Newport model in the state. Of two Lustron houses built in the Macon area, only this one remains intact. It was listed for its role in postwar efforts to ease the housing shortage through industrial prefabrication, and for its modern ranch design with easy-care materials, built-in storage and rounded corners.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is an excellent, largely intact example of post-World War II prefabricated housing using enameled steel panels. It meets Criterion A for its association with innovative materials and marketing used to address the postwar housing shortage. It meets Criterion C as a good example of the Newport model, the only known one in Georgia, with modern ranch design and space-saving features.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 96000216, listed March 18, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3498 McKenzie Dr., Macon |
|---|---|
| County | Bibb County |
| Listed | March 18, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000216 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1949 |
| Architect / builder | Roy Blass and Morris Beckman - Illinois architects (designed prototype for the Porcelain Products Company, later renamed Lustron Corporation) |
| Architectural style | Other: Lustron |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; it retains its structural and architectural integrity with minor alterations, including a remodeled kitchen, replaced exterior doors, central heat and air, and a rear addition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.84800, -83.68250 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 96000216.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134132850
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.