Click on photos to enlargeSandy Adams remembers that her house at 83 Horn Lane in Levittown "held the first TV set that I had ever seen – a 12-inch set in the wall under the stairs – wow. Heated floors, stainless-steel sink and counter top, a Bendix washing machine and a fireplace open to both the kitchen and living room." The Adams moved into the house in 1950. Ten years later, she graduated from Division Avenue High School.
Sandy notes that one picture shows an unimproved carport and another an upgraded back patio area. Most early Levittowners gradually improved their homes as money became available.
Until recently, Sandy "hadn’t looked at these pictures for quite a few years. It’s always surprising how big our yards, as well as our houses, seemed to us at that time. With each improvement – bushes, flowers, the ever popular 1950s rock garden, driveway, patio, making the carport into a garage, finishing the attic – our home seemed like such a special place and something to be proud of.
"How I hated the floor-to-ceiling picture window in the living room with its separate sections that each had a small ledge. My mother collected knick-knacks and it was my job to clean all of them and the entire wall/window on Saturdays." She swore that "when I grew up, I’d never have things like this in my house! That is actually an oath that I adhered to all my life – no clutter around my home for me. Now, about the clutter in other areas of my life..."
What does the current eastern Long Island resident see in these photos that others might miss? "I find it noticeable for girls to be outdoors playing in dresses, but it was common back then. I’d bet that more girls had scraped knees and shins than the boys did."
