House Roots

Every since we brought our 1956 rancher in Northern California, I've wanted to learn more about its history and who built our little home. I wanted to find a the actual floor plan our house and the floor plan advertisement used to sell our home. I really want to get a copy of them because I would love to frame them and put them in our living room, a nod to our homes roots. To see the original architectural advertisement of our house's floor plan would be so amazing, I love the 1950's builders ads.

So for the past week I've been all over the Internet hoping I could find who built our home. Since home was built in a 1950's & 1960's subdivision and our home is on a few different blocks I thought it might make my search easier. 

I came across this amazing website Antique Home that's full of floor plans & ads of vintage homes from the 1900's to the Mid Century! They have floor plans from the Sears & Roebuck kit homes to 1920's bungalows. I encourage all of you with older homes {1900's though the 1970's } to stop by there website you just might come across your house plans. Here's what the site says about Modern 1956 Ranch Homes

'As a result of practical one story planning, the typical ranch house the ultimate in efficacy and livability. It features long and low rambling lines, a generous use of grass for an abundance of sunlight, plus eye appeal that is perfect for town our country'

1956 House Ad

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I wasn't able to locate our floor plan, but found some cute ones that remind me of a few house styles I've seen in my neighborhood. Most of the houses in my neighborhood have a mixture of brick, shingles and wood siding. I love the charm of the houses below, and would love to find a similar ad of our house. Can't you see why!

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Next a narrowed my search to CA Ranch home builders in the 1950's, I came across Cliff May Homes. I learned that Cliff May was the pioneer of the California Ranch home.By the late 1950's 8 out of every 10 tract homes built in the US were Cliff May Homes.

I'm still not sure the built our home. I contacted the County Planning office and have left messages with the Record Department and sent a few emails. I'm not sure If I'll get a quick response with the all the budget cuts. So this weekend after I paint our front door, I plan on stopping at the library and see what information I can find out about our home.

Are you curious like me to find out who built your older home? Any suggestions on how I can find out who built our home or a website for older home floor plans? Hopefully I'll have a part two soon, wish me luck.