Five Star Homes No. 2301" Better Homes and Gardens, January 1953
"Oh, you live in one of them houses with the funky windows on the front?" This question typically comes after you tell someone you live in Ridgewood, a small neighborhood located in Crestwood, a suburb of St. Louis, MO. Hopefully this blog will enable an informed rebuttal to this often asked question.
In future posts, this blog will serve to share the history and information gathered about Ridgewood after much research. It is hoped that it will provide a valuable resource to fellow residents who share a common interest, as well as help establish an increased sense of community. In addition, a broader scope of mid century residential architecture in St. Louis will be explored and included. Throughout the progression of this blog, any information, images, or resources you wish to share on Ridgewood or other homes/neighborhoods is welcomed and appreciated.
The Ridgewood subdivision, located in Crestwood, Missouri, is a neighborhood of 258 modern ranch homes built in the early 1950's. To meet the public's growing demand for modern homes, successful St. Louis Developer Burton Duenke, in collaboration with architect Ralph Fournier, conceived Rigewood as a modern alternative to the traditional style homes Duenke had been building since 1946.
"Five Star Homes No. 2301" Better Homes and Gardens, January 1953
The Ridgewood concept was an immediate success, and popular publications of the time such as Better Homes & Gardens and House + Home magazine were quick to showcase Ridgewood homes in their feature articles. Unique both for the time and for St. Louis, the Ridgewood project was also advanced in its form of construction. Duenke founded his Modular Homes company to create a unique, partially prefabricated building method that would further the success of his project. Post and beam frame construction, combined with an innovative modular panel system allowed the Ridgewood home to be affordable, practical, and approachable. The modular panel system was successful enough to allow the Ridgewood home to be built in numerous locations within a 500 mile radius of St. Louis.
"Five Star Homes No. 2301" Better Homes and Gardens, January 1953
At the time the Ridgewood development began, other builders across the country were working to fill a similar void in the housing market. In California, builders such as Joseph Eichler sought to provide the ultimate in living the "California Lifestyle" with his tract homes. Similarly, Cliff May began developing his own modular home program using techniques similar to those utilized in Ridgewood. In cities like Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lortondale became one of the first large scale housing developments to incorporate features such as slab-on-grade construction and central air conditioning. The Ridgewood project allowed St. Louis homeowners to experience living in a home with features similar to these, while enjoying a modular, partially prefabricated home that was entirely unique.
In future posts, this blog will serve to share the history and information gathered about Ridgewood after much research. It is hoped that it will provide a valuable resource to fellow residents who share a common interest, as well as help establish an increased sense of community. In addition, a broader scope of mid century residential architecture in St. Louis will be explored and included. Throughout the progression of this blog, any information, images, or resources you wish to share on Ridgewood or other homes/neighborhoods is welcomed and appreciated.
