The brainchild of developer William J. Levitt,
Levittown, Pennsylvania was the largest planned community
constructed by a single builder in the United States. By the
time it was completed in 1958, the development occupied over
5500 acres in lower Bucks County and included churches, schools,
swimming pools, shopping centers and 17,311 single-family
homes.
To its 70,000-plus residents, Levittown
represented the American Dream of homeownership. To many others,
Levittown epitomized postwar suburbia—a place often
criticized but widely copied.
In honor of its 50th anniversary, this exhibit
explores the early history of Levittown from the perspective
of those who built and lived the suburban dream.
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