Lustron Houses of Jermain Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Jermain Street in western Albany holds a small group of Lustron houses, prefabricated homes sold by the Lustron Corporation after World War II. Five Westchester Deluxe two-bedroom models were built here in 1949 by Upstate Construction Corporation, and four are counted as contributing. Their walls and roofs are porcelain-enameled steel panels in original colors such as Surf Blue, Dove Gray, Maize Yellow and Desert Tan. The house at 1 Jermain lost its steel panels and is noncontributing. Albany's building commissioner first refused permits because city codes did not cover this construction method, and permits were granted in January 1949 after an appeal. Lustron went bankrupt in June 1950, and three more houses on the street were later taken by the state for highway work. The district is documented as the largest contiguous, intact collection of Lustron houses in New York State, and it is significant for architecture and for its link to postwar housing and prefabrication.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be architecturally significant as rare, remarkably intact examples of Lustron Corporation's porcelain-enameled steel prefabricated houses. It is also tied to post-World War II housing growth, suburban expansion and assembly-line prefabrication. It is documented as the largest contiguous, fully intact group of Lustron houses in New York State.
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 09000572, listed July 29, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1,3,5,7,8 Jermain St., Albany |
|---|---|
| County | Albany County |
| Listed | July 29, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000572 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1949-1950 |
| Architect / builder | Carl Strandlund - Inventor; Roy Blass & MH Beckman - Architects; Upstate Construction Corp. - Contractor, Albany, N.Y. |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: Prefab, Lustron Westchester |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Engineering, Industry, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | 7 Jermain Street was unoccupied after a winter 2009 fire in its rear addition, with its windows covered. The other houses are listed as single-family dwellings. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 42.68170, -73.80110 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 09000572.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6705308
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.