The Ranch House is among the most prolific residential housing types in the United States; it was the home of the American twentieth century nuclear family. The building boom associated with the post-war World War II period produced a record number of housing starts: over 1.65 million in 1955, and approximately 1.5 million for the remainder of the decade. The Ranch House peaked in popularity in the 1950s, when it accounted for nine out of ten new houses built. As millions of Ranch Houses are meeting and surpassing the National Register for Historic Places’ fifty year threshold for listing, this house type is deservedly receiving recognition from the preservation community as a resource worthy of preservation. Collections of Ranch Houses have been listed as districts in the National Register, and many are being recognized and protected as local historic districts. Ranch Houses are significant examples of community planning and development, and post-war social history. Like residential house types and styles that preceded it, the Ranch House is experiencing a period of adjustment while the public at large learns to appreciate its features, details and design attributes. The Ranch House as a residential type rather than an academic style, has been evaluated by architectural historians and historic preservationists, but few studies fully address interior spaces and materials. The evaluation of a building’s interior as a primary source for information about the post-World War II era can provide a research framework for more detailed documentation of American suburbanization and neighborhood growth in the mid-twentieth century. The Ranch House is undergoing a resurgence in popularity as many first time homebuyers and retiring baby boomers seek affordable, manageable and flexible housing. The major selling points of the mid-century Ranch House were its emphasis on informality, flexibility in spatial use, and the opportunity for personal expression and individuality through interior plans and materials. Professional preservationists often hear this question from persons who have built or lived in Ranch Houses, “How is it historic if it’s from my lifetime?” Since many of these properties are now being listed in the National Register and will be considered as ‘contributing’ in National Register districts (formerly considered ‘non-contributing’ intrusions in many districts), a new generation of decision matters and homeowners will need assistance in Ranch House rehabilitation. This is problematic from an exterior perspective due to functional changes that result in visual character defining changes. When Ranch House interiors are rehabilitated, additional dilemmas arise. Many finishes, materials, and prefabricated elements are simply unavailable today, making their replacement and repair difficult. This presentation will identify the key defining elements of the Ranch house interior: the context and significance of the interior as a component of a newly Register eligible resource; its role in the change of desirable living standards in the 1950s and 1960s; and the challenges associated with its preservation.

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