Just after WWII there was a huge need for new housing. This is partially because of all the returning veterans that wanted to settle down and start families, and the fact that we basically stopped building housing during the war to channel materials and labor to the war efforts.

This housing boom resulted in a couple styles of houses that were built in great numbers. These styles include the “Ranch” style house, or “Rambler” in our local vernacular, the “Minimal Traditional” which typically is a single story (similar to a ranch style), or 1 – 1/2 story house. Both of these styles of houses can be found in abundance throughout the Twin Cities, built in the late 40’s and most of the 50’s.

You can read more about the “Minimal Traditional” on the following pages, and more about the “Ranch” in the Ranch Section of this website.

There is a great song written in 1963 by Malvina Reynolds that describes these cookie-cutter homes in Levittown; it’s called “Little Boxes.”