Levittown

Richard Wagner, Amy Duckett Wagner

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9780738572765
• eBook ISBN: 9781439623695
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Levittown was created in Bucks County outside of Philadelphia in 1951. As one of the largest "planned communities" in America, this book's superb collection of history and photographs illustrates the birth and growth of this unique area. In 1951, Levittown was created in Bucks County outside of Philadelphia by builder pioneers Levitt and Sons. Dubbed the largest and "most perfectly planned" community in America, it featured single-family homes, schools, churches, shopping centers, and swimming pools. A symbol of the "American Dream," Levittown defined the phenomenon of post-World War II suburban developments, which for the first time gave working- and middle-class families the option of affordable, detached houses outside congested urban neighborhoods. Levittown was a melting pot, attracting people from cities, rural areas, and all walks of life, including many World War II veterans with young families. Houses came fully equipped with appliances and landscaping and started at $9,000. Levittown's superb collection of history and photographs illustrates the birth and growth of this unique area, explores the community that resulted, and features residents' personal memories of the golden years.

Five

LEVITTOWN MEMORIES

A common question Levittowners ask one another is “What school do you go to?” This is a fair question since Levittown covers 22 square miles, where 17,311 houses were built in 41 neighborhoods. Because Levittown was never incorporated and spreads across three townships and one borough, there are three separate public school districts serving the area’s children. This map shows how the 41 sections of Levittown are associated with the three different school districts.

The new Walt Disney Elementary School welcomed its namesake in 1955. It was built in 1954 in the Pennsbury School District, with murals painted by Disney artists, and served kindergarten through fifth grade with 318 students and was located on Lakeside Drive in the Lakeside section. On Saturday, September 24, shortly after 3:00 p.m., a Pennsylvania Railroad train approached the Levittown station in Tullytown with Walt Disney onboard. Mr. Disney then arrived at the school in a helicopter on the lawn, which was probably more exciting to the elementary schoolchildren than any ceremony.

This artist’s rendition of Pennsbury High School is of the first school location. Pennsbury High was originally on Makefield Road in Yardley in the building that is now the Pennwood Junior High. Pennsbury High School, home of the Falcons, has grown and now has a huge east and west high school campus in Fairless Hills.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Elementary School was built in the Bristol Township School District. Pictured here is a group of children who are probably waiting to be driven home on the bus that is pulling up on the right.

This is a 1960s aerial view of Bishop Egan and St. Michael’s Catholic School, located on Levittown Parkway across from the Levittown Shopping Center, with Levittown Lake in the background. In the 1960s, this was Bishop Conwell High (for girls), and St Michael’s primary school and the Bishop Egan Catholic School (for boys) was on Wistar Road.

The Towne Theatre, off Levittown Parkway by the Shop-A-Rama, was Levittown’s first modern movie theater, with 1,200 seats, a balcony, and a 54-foot-wide, state-of-the-art RCA Dyna-Lite screen. It was a grand room with red damask sidewalls and Acoustone rear walls. Built by Melvin Fox of the Philadelphia Fox movie family, the gala grand opening in 1953 featured River of No Return with Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. Locals will also remember the Fox Theatre in the country club shopping center, near Jubilee Lanes, and the famous Roosevelt Drive-In Theatre (now a Target complex), both on Route 1 in Langhorne.

Little League baseball was big in Levittown East and West. The Middletown Athletic Association was a huge part of growing up in Levittown. Many children joined the team, and the ones who didn’t watched from the bleachers. Little League was a popular family event in Levittown.

Levittown also had intramural baseball teams for adults. This man in his baseball uniform stands by his Olds Rocket 88 outside his Levittown garage.

After winning the 1960 Little League World Series, the Levittown American League All-Stars were the eastern regional champs in 1961. The team jerseys show a variety of local businesses, including Penn Fruit, Lobel’s, Frank’s, Pomeroy’s, and Halperin Real Estate.

This was a special day ...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• One - HOMETOWN LEVITTOWN
• Two - BUILDING A LEVITTOWN
• Three - THOSE WONDERFUL HOUSES
• Four - THE PERFECT COMMUNITY
• Five - LEVITTOWN MEMORIES