Part 13/15:
Post-war prosperity ignited a new housing boom, but the landscape of American homebuilding had evolved significantly. Developers favored site-built homes using modern mass-production techniques, and lines of modular assemblies replaced traditional kit homes. Moreover, federal programs and mortgage policies favored standardized, large-scale subdivisions over individual kit homes.
In 1946, Gordon-Van Tine’s assets were sold to a Cincinnati firm, marking the beginning of the end. By 1947, the company that once produced thousands of innovative, affordable homes shuttered its doors for good. The final catalogs were printed, orders fulfilled, and the era of Gordon-Van Tine as a household name drew to a close.