Still doing research for the upcoming
Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour. I've found some great articles and advertisements from when our Eichler Homes neighborhood here in Sacramento was new!
These always help provide context and insight to what was happening at the time. For instance, some homes overlook a nature area -- part of
Reichmuth Park (formerly Mungers Lake). I pondered whether or not Eichler Homes took this into consideration when they chose this part of Sacramento. It would appear they did.
"LIVING ROOM of one of the Eichler Home units in South Land Park Hills.
All-purpose room in central background. Ceilings are of redwood. Beams of Douglas Fir."
Sacramento Union, May 15, 1955, page 21:
"Eichler Home Units Are Opened to Public
The first units in the Eichler Homes $3,000,000 South Land Park Hills development were opened to the public yesterday, and remain open today, according to Robert Kress, the builder's representative in Sacramento.
The development will consist of 143 three-and-four bedroom, two-bath houses.
Most will also have the extra all-purpose room which has become an Eichler Homes feature. Lot sizes are 80 feet by 125 feet and larger. Prices will start at $17,750 with a top of $21,500, Robert Kress, Eichler representative in Sacramento, said.
The South Land Park Hills property is being developed by Moss & Moss of Sacramento. It is situated about two miles south of William Land Park and golf course and overlooking Munger's Lake.
Eichler Homes has previous built around 2500 homes, primarily in the vicinity of Palo Alto on the San Francisco Peninsula.
The builder has won many awards for design, quality of construction, and neighborhood planning, recently winning both national awards of the National Association of Home Builders convention in Chicago. The awards were made for house design and neighborhood planning in a Palo Alto subdivision.
Plans for Sacramento were developed for the gently rolling location by architects Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons and feature floor-to-ceiling glass walls with sliding glass doors on the protected garden side of the house, beamed ceilings of Douglas fir and 2x8 redwood, cork floors, Philippine mahogany wall paneling throughout, radiant heat and an air-cooling system.
Prices include a built-in Thermador electric range and oven, Waste King garbage disposer and a General Electric combination washer-dryer.
Sacramento was selected as a location after extensive study by the builder, Kress said."
The stability of the Sacramento economy, its high retail sales, the increasing population of civil servants and military personnel, and the reputation of the south Sacramento suburbs as a desirable residential area were the principal factors in the decision to acquire the sizable site, Kress said.
Eichler Homes also owns land and is building in San Rafael, Walnut Creek, San Mateo, and Palo Alto.
