History of the F house ...

F house sketch

F house floor plan

History of the F house -

Single Family Dwelling
Two Story
Three Bedrooms ~ One Bathroom
Approx. 1216 sq. ft. ~ 60% Basement
250 Homes
Built: 1943 - 1945
1948 Rent: $50.00

Contractor: Smith, Hoffman & Wright Company, Portland, OR

Narrative from the general building plans [November, 1943]

The "F' house, of which there are 250 units and 250
buildings, is a full two story, three bedroom house. The
version of an old and much admired plan, it offers every
possible utilization of space and advantage of orientation
with a minimum of cubic cost. Every room on the house has two
exposures. The three bedrooms on the second floor are
adequate and all have good sized closets. There is additional
closet space on both floors. The dining room and living room
and kitchen are all ample. In fact, the kitchen is the only
one of all the types that is large enough for a breakfast
table. Its cabinets, too, are generous in size.

The exterior of this type of house is always boxy. Being
nearly square in plan and having two stories make it appear
unusually high. This effect is corrected by dropping the
ceiling at the front and back of the second floor and by
introduction of dormers. Although this style of house is
greatly improved by keeping the floor line nearly at grade,
this was impractical for several reasons. There is the
possible water hazard of a too deeply excavated basement;
there is the elimination of areaways or wells for light; and
there is the difficulty of handling wood framing too close to
grade. All these factors would have increased the expense of
the house.

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I love the history of these old houses... I find it amazing that they were built to be 'temporary' housing for the Hanford workers at the time. Goes to show that good workmanship can stand the test of time.

For more information on the Houses that Hanford built -
http://hanford.houses.tripod.com/