Ranch
If you ever watched television shows from the 1950s and 1960s, you saw the classic Ranch Style house. Arranged to provide garages and driveways around a busy home comprising L-shaped boxes, the Ranch was first built in sunny, warm Southern California climes during the 1930s. But it really spread in popularity after the war, when mobile Americans moved to Florida, the American Southwest, and California.
With a warm climate outside, the homes featured large sliding glass doors to patios and pool areas, and living rooms and dens featured ample picture windows. Depending on the locale, Ranch Homes featured evaporation cooling systems on the roof. Some kitchens offered Formica counters and matched tile flooring. Much like their Minimal Traditional predecessors, Ranch Style homes broke out in waves of American subdivisions following World War II. Many returning soldiers picked up their families and moved to the West Coast and Southwest, buying new Ranch homes with their GI benefits.
