Lortondale

[inteller]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

quote:Originally posted by inteller

for those of you that want to stay historically accurate when you have to replace a unit, Fedders is the spiritual successor to Airtemp.

That's interesting to know.  When I bought my Lortondale home in April 1987, it still had the original Chrysler furnace.  The outside A/C unit was a round Freidrich unit.  I replaced the old Chrysler furnace in 1988 with a Carrier.  I still have the same Freidrich outside A/C unit to this day; I have never even had to have it recharged with coolant!  It is located on the east side of the house under the wide roof overhang, and is shielded from sun and rain pretty well.  I just make sure every year it is kept clean of debris (that damn cottonwood crap mostly) and it has been running strong for me for 20 years and counting.  Preventative maintenance is the key.

Fedders got Airtemp back in 1976.  they buried the brand for the most part.  however Airtemp had that Comfortzone model Fedders now has a model called Comforttech.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

quote:Originally posted by colemandavid

does anyone know of any lortondale homes on the market right now?

The last one I know about was in Lortondale Second, at the corner of 26th St. & Hudson; that house recently sold.

There are 2 houses in Lortondale that I know are vacant, but no signs or indication that they are for sale.  Do a frequent search at www.realtor.com and search in zip code 74114.  Homes that are realtor-listed usually show up there.  It only takes about 15 minutes or less to just drive through Lortondale or Lortondale Second to check for "sale by owner" signs too.

I just got back from a drive around the 'hood, absolutely no "for sale" signs on any Lortondale or Lortondale Second houses!  I guess that is a good thing from my perspective as a Lortondale owner.

The only sign was the "sold" sign on the house at the northwest corner of 26th St. & Hudson.  From what I have heard about that house, it was sold by the original 1955 owner, and the interior of the house is like stepping back in time to 1955 modern Tulsa.  The house does need some exterior maintenance and landscape cleanup/trimming back of overgrown shrubs, but I hope that whoever bought it appreciates Lortondale and intends to preserve the vintage jewel that this house currently is.

[Steve]

The Lortondale Pool, 4941 E 26th Street, is now open for the summer swimming season.  Official opening will be on Saturday, June 2nd.  The pool is open Tuesday through Sunday, 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM, closed Mondays for maintenance.

The Lortondale pool was Tulsa's very first private developer-built neighborhood swimming pool, opened in the summer of 1956.  Join us for our 52nd consecutive year of swimming fun!!!

The Lortondale pool is on 2 residential lots with swings, volleyball court, teather ball, and the big Lortondale diving pool.  Bathhouse with mens/womens showers and toilet facilities.  Soda vending machines and charcoal grills onsite.  Red Cross certified lifeguards on duty at all hours during normal pool operation.

Family memberships are $165 for the full summer season; single memberships are $100 for the full summer season through Labor Day.  Escape the crowds and commercialization of more public facilities, and relax at the Lortondale Pool this summer!

[mr.jaynes]

Having been through the area you've mentioned, was Lortondale a working-class suburb in anyone's opinion?

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by mr.jaynes

Having been through the area you've mentioned, was Lortondale a working-class suburb in anyone's opinion?

I suppose it depends on your definitions, but I do know that when originally constructed in 1954, the homes in Lortondale sold for $12,500 - $16,500, solidly in the mid price range for new homes at the time.  All Lortondale modern homes are architect designed (Donald Honn) and not just plans from a builder's book of stock designs.  It was rare for a tract builder such as Howard Grubb to employ an architect for his homes, and it is still very rare today.  And all Lortondale homes featured central A/C (the first tract home development in the U.S. to do so) and luxuries such as built-in dishwashers.  Not to mention the first coop-owned subdivision swimming pool in Tulsa.  All pretty high-end amenities for 1954 Tulsa homes.

Lortondale originally attracted many professional people: architects, college professors, engineers, young professionals and families that could have afforded a more expensive home, but were drawn to Lortondale for the unique modern architecture, luxury amenities, and the foward thinking & planning of the builder Howard Grubb and architect Donald Honn.  

No, I would not consider Lortondale a "working class" subdivision (I assume you mean "blue collar"), definately not originally, and not really today.  It is a very unique historic piece of 1950s America, right here today in Tulsa OK.  I am proud to be a 20+ year owner/resident of a Donald Honn modern Lortondale home.  Many young people are realizing the value in these houses, appreciate the foward-thinking design, and are restoring them to former glory.  For lovers of mid-twentieth century modern residential architecture, there is no better place to live than Lortondale.