Several years ago, I collected information about Levittown housing in an effort to study energy use for the 1950s era construction and to consider methods to improve efficiency and comfort in the homes we live in. The initial results of that effort are summarized in a report that is available here.

During the process of searching for information, I was surprised to learn how much information was lost. I imagined that with so many contractors involved in the original construction and with four municipal jurisdictions to which submittals were made, architectural plans and details would be relatively easy to find. I was wrong. Eventually, some details emerged and it is my intention to make them available in the hope that this stuff will never be so hard to find again. I was pleased and surprised to discover that one of the findings led back to the Bucks County Technical School – now referred to as the Bucks County Technical High School (BCTHS).

Over the years, various Levittown documents, files, publications, and related materials accumulated in a dedicated room in the Levittown Branch of the Bucks County Library. A set of drawings exist in a cardboard tube in this Levittown collection which are among the most detailed I have seen to date for the “Levittowner” house model. Additionally, the Bucks County Technical School is noted in the title block for the drawings. Curious, I contacted the school for more information with the secret hope that drawings of the other house models might also exist, safely tucked away in a dusty cabinet. However, that was not to be, and there was no clear indication of how or why these re-drafted drawings were produced. The only educated guess that seemed to fit was that they were produced as part of a 1976 drafting class project. Indeed, it appears that student names also appear in the drawing title blocks. No other drawings were known to exist at the school.

With permission, I had these drawings scanned and returned to the collection along with an electronic copy of the files. They were subsequently re-drafted for clarity. The Levittown Collection, which once existed in the library, is now managed by the Mercer Museum in Doylestown. A pdf of these drawings can be found here. Note that the title blocks are not included in this copy.

Note for readers: if you are aware of Levittown drawings that may exist in files, attics, township records, etc., please feel free to contact me – I may be able to help get them scanned and return the originals. They can be helpful sources of information for fellow homeowners.

Kevin Deeny