Bungalow Homes in the 1940s

Chicago

• Chicago bungalows were built from 1903. They had one and a half stories and modern conveniences for the time, such as electric and central heating. They were faced with brick, with stone trim and large windows and low, overhanging roofs. Many also had basements. In the 1940s, Chicago-style bungalows started to lose their appeal and new builds were generally of the more modern Ranch and Minimalist designs.

Ranch

• With the popularity of the car came the Ranch bungalow, complete with garage. In 1932, San Diego architect Cliff May created a building type inspired by the Spanish hacienda that he called "the early California Ranch house." It was a low-slung, vernacular building that followed the contours of the land. The style was heavily promoted in the 1940s and 1950s in new suburban communities. Characteristics of a Ranch house include a wide, ground-hugging profile, low-pitched roof, deep eaves and a garage positioned at the front of the house.

Minimalist

• Minimal traditional characteristics integrated a front-facing gable with a longer section, small eaves and the most simplistic of architectural details. Minimalist design was more about affordability as it was aesthetics, and minimalist bungalows were built prolifically in large tract-housing developments before and after World War II.

Split Level

• The Split Level started to emerge from the mid-1940s, becoming more popular in the 1950s. This design style is characterized by a two-story section adjoined mid-level to a one-story wing, which creates three levels of space for families to utilize for sleeping, recreation and dining.