The Levittown Exhibit Center & Sales Office on Route 13 in Tullytown
The “House of Levittown” showroom. (Photo - Bucks County Historical Society)
The Exhibit center opened December 8, 1951 with samples of the Levittowner, which sold for $9,990 on a 70 by 100 foot lot. Later, the Rancher, Jubilee, Pennsylvanian, Country Clubber and Colonial were added to the available models. Who Were the First Levittowners? The first Levittowners were mainly veterans with young families because Levitt made housing affordable. There were plenty of jobs at US Steel Fairless Works and other industrial sites. Over 40% of these new homebuyers came from Philly while others came from throughout Bucks and Montgomery Counties, Upstate PA, Trenton, NJ and other areas of Central New Jersey. “The Rules”

Directions to Levittown (Wagner Photo)

Selling Like Hotcakes
In the first 10 weeks, 3500 homes were ordered with the builders completing approximately 200 houses per week. During Levittown, Pa.’s first year, Levitt & Sons sold an average of 1600 houses a month. Business was so good, Levitt & Sons typically sold out its annual allocation of houses by May or June each year.

Sales Agreement & The Rules
When a customer signed the agreement of sale, they agreed to no fences around their property, not to change the color of their homes, not to hang laundry out on Sundays and to use and umbrella-type clothes-line when clothes were to be hung out. All of the restrictions were covered in the “Rules” booklet below.

Financing Levittown
Most Levittown homes were purchased by GI families and were financed with Veterans Administration (VA) loans under the GI Bill. The federal government and local realtors assisted veterans with application process. To qualify for a mortgage, prospective Levittown home buyers had to meet minimum income levels. They finalized sales at mass mortgage closings. During a typical closing meeting, as many as 40 to 50 buyers would be settling on their new homes simultaneously.

Levitt Sales Brochure (Levitt & Sons - 1951) This booklet was typically the first, and possibly only, literature that prospective buyers got from Levitt salesmen. Click on the image to launch brochure

Halperin Sales Brochure (J Halperin - 1957) Halperin was a real estate firm specializing in Levittown re-sales and rentals since Levitt sold all new units. Click on the image to launch brochure

Opening Day (Philadelphia Inquirer - 1951) Before opening for business on Route 13 in Tullytown on December 8, 1951, Levitt bought a full page ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer. More than 30,000 people turned out in the rain for the opening weekend.

Exhibit Center Kitchen (Photo - Jan Duckett) This photo of the Levittowner kitchen was taken "through the window" of the House of Levittown display. The Exhibit Showroom highlighted the modern aspects of design, materials and built-ins available.

		The "The House of Levittown" (Photo - Bucks Co Historical Society) At the Exhibit Center, prospective home buyers were invited to inspect "all equipment and materials … down to the last gallon of paint." Levitt was able to show House models and design in a controlled environment and move people through the sales process quickly and efficiently.

Lined Up to Buy (Photo -Times)   Here is 1955 line to tour and buy a Jubilee model.

Levittowner Sales Ad ( Philadelphia Inquirer - 1952) This early ad is selling Levittowner models in the early sections and is focused on value and community.

Levittown Sales Ad ( Philadelphia Inquirer - 1957) Features the 1957 Levittowner, Country Clubber and the elusive "Budgeteer" rental model.