Roof Design of Houses in the 1950s

A-Frame

• Chad Everett Randall, writing in the “Old House Journal,” said the A-frame was the “right shape at the right time” as part of the post World War II boom. The desire to suddenly need two of everything, from TV sets to houses, meant the A-frame endured a popularity that exceeded its pre-war use as low-budget housing. The 1950s A-frame boom made the equilateral triangle construction (two sides roof and one side floor) a popular choice for holiday homes in vacation areas for 20 years. But rising real estate prices made little sense in putting cheap housing on valuable land and the A-frame was difficult to insulate. As energy prices soared in the 1970s, demand fell for A-frames and their distinctive roof designs.

Ranch and Traditional

• The storybook ranch style had its heyday between 1948 and 1957 and featured low-pitched, gabled roofs. The split-level ranch style was also becoming prominent and this affected the roof-style. The garage attached to the house, either in front or to the side, meant a large and often long profile that needed roofing. It replaced the minimal traditional style with roofs that were low to medium-pitched and sported eaves that were very close together or non-existent. The minimal traditional was mainly to satisfy the post-World War II demand.

Butterfly

• The butterfly roof fit in well with the ‘50s fascination with butterfly and gullwing design, that enjoyed its parallels to the vehicle industry. Though not a common design, the roof was essentially two gables that sloped toward each other and met in the middle, creating space for high windows on the sides and on the ends. It was forward-thinking by providing more natural light and was a convenient way to collect rainwater.

Trusses

• Prefabricated trusses for roofs appeared in the late 1950s and affected roof design. Nail-plated timber trusses saved labor, were light and were easily constructede. They were made to order and brought the complicated task of roof construction within the bounds of the average solo builder. On the down side, prefabricated trusses could not provide design freedom and had only a limited range of roof pitches.