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Crofton History - The Levitt Chapter
April 2nd, 2008 Categories: Crofton Info
If you’re relocating to the Washington-Baltimore area from another part of the country, you may notice that some sections of Crofton are eerily similar to other neighborhoods in Maryland.
In fact, Crofton may resemble a place you previously lived in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Delaware, or Pennsylvania. It’s no coincidence – hundreds of communities, with many of the same home designs and floorplans, were built by Levitt and Sons over many decades and around the world.
Since 2008 is the 40th anniversary of the first Levitt homes in Crofton, I thought it might be interesting to take a little stroll back to the early days of Levitt and Sons and the homes they constructed in Crofton over the course of about five years.
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Levitt and Sons, Inc. – From the Beginning:
Levitt and Sons was established in 1929 by the son of immigrants, real estate attorney Abraham Levitt and his sons William, as President, and Alfred, as Chief Architect and Planner. They started construction the same year on their first community at Rockville Centre, New York, and expanded to several other states over the next four decades.
From the Levitt Corporation website:
William Levitt anticipated a pent-up demand for housing after World War II, and the company started acquiring land while he was still serving in the Pacific with the Seabees, the U.S. Navy’s construction unit. The company came up with a design for a basic house, together with a way to reduce construction procedures to 26 steps. This process, together with their mechanical and technical innovations, revolutionized the home-building industry.
Levitt actually created an assembly line to build houses on the site, using men and equipment much as they do in the auto industry. The essential difference between Detroit’s methods and Levitt’s was that auto makers moved materials past a waiting line of men in a factory, whereas the Levitt system moved the workmen from house site to house site past a waiting line of material in the field. Thus, in an industry notorious for wasted time, motion and material, the company introduced previously unheard-of logistics, timing and efficiency.
William took over the company in 1954 and continued to operate it until 1972, even after selling the company to ITT in 1968 and ITT’s subsequent loss of the company in 1971 due to an anti-trust ruling.
Levitt homes in Crofton were built between 1968 and 1973,
in the community developed by Crawford Corporation.
Over the years, Levitt companies established a modular home building subsidiary, expanded overseas, and changed hands several times. The Levitt Corporation and many of its subsidiaries are still in business today, even after the 2007 bankruptcy filing by Levitt and Sons, LLC and 37 subsidiaries. While Bill Levitt did return to the building industry in the late 70’s, he was barred by the courts from using his own name, a trademark of the company he sold.
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Levitt Homes in Crofton:
All Levitt-built detached homes in Crofton were constructed on a slab, but some of their townhomes do have basements, depending on the topography of the site. Unlike new homes by today’s builders, with endless options, interior colors were pre-determined based on the model – my first Levitt home, for example, was an Enfield model townhome which came with a yellow powder room, pink bathroom, and brown kitchen appliances.
Other standard features of Levitt homes in Crofton (and even homes built ten years earlier in neighboring Bowie) include the following: tile squares in every room of the house, except bathrooms which had ceramic tiles; speckled spray paint on all the walls and doors; metal closet doors and hollow-core interior doors throughout; and sliding glass doors to the back yard. Many of these standard features have been updated and upgraded over the years, and bear little or no resemblance today to homes occupied by the first Levitt homeowners.
Levitt-built detached homes which originally sold in Crofton in the $20-30,000 range now often sell for more than $400,000, while townhomes which sold new in the $20,000’s now sell for nearly $300,000. You can scroll over the photo to see the model name of pictured homes. (These homes are not currently for sale.)
Ardsley – 4–bedroom cape cod
Buckingham /Brandywine – 3–bedroom rancher
Cambridge – 3 bedroom 2–story colonial
Canterbury – 2–bedroom townhome
Devon – expanded 3–bedroom rancher
Dorset – 3–bedroom townhome
Enfield – 3–bedroom townhome
Gibbon – 3–bedroom townhome
Gladstone – 4–bedroom 2–story colonial
Jamestown – 2–bedroom one-level townhome
Roxbury – 4–bedroom colonial
Severn / Susquehanna – 4–bedroom colonial
Tred Avon – 4–
bedroom “California-style” rancher
Wicomico – 3–bedroom rancher
All photos copyright 2008. M.Woda
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I hope you enjoyed this information about Crofton history, and I invite you to share your own photos or stories about Levitt’s first years in Crofton. You can email the information to me now, and I’ll include it in another post on this topic later in the 40th anniversary year of Levitt in Crofton.
In addition to Time Magazine article about William Levitt and the Levitt Corporation website (links above), another interesting source of information about the company and its history is LevittownBeyond.com.
Other Levitt Communities in Maryland:
(a partial list)
- Belair at Bowie
- Quaker Ridge at Northampton
- Lake Village
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Harbor Ridge at Joppatowne
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Strathmore at Bel Pre
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Rock Creek
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Pickering Circle
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Relocating to Anne Arundel County?
February 29th, 2008 Categories: Crofton Info
Margaret Woda is your real estate connection to Fort Meade, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Naval Academy, BWI, and anywhere in Anne Arundel County or the greater Baltimore-Washington area.
When you relocate to Anne Arundel County, Maryland, you will fall in love with the stunning scenery, laid-back atmosphere, and local fare from the Chesapeake Bay. The county’s convenient location, less than an hour from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., may attract residents and businesses alike -but it’s not the only reason they stay.
You’ll see why residents love it here, as you explore the pages of my Anne Arundel County Relocation Package, featuring some of my blog posts about communities, things to do, and the quality of life in this area. There’s no substitute for a personal tour, however, and I hope you’ll contact me to schedule a visit soon.
In the meantime, check back often because I’ll be adding new posts to this Relocation Package, from time to time.
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Anne Arundel County Info At Your Fingertips
January 1st, 2008 Categories: Crofton Info
Crofton MD News –
Crofton residents, have you tried the new online resource for finding county facilities near your home? It’s called MyAnneArundel.
When you visit the Anne Arundel County website at www.aacounty.org, you will see the MyAnneArundel banner near the top of the home page. Just click on the banner to enter MyAnneArundel and learn about the two types of reports that are available for the address you enter, General Information and Crime Statistics.
When I entered my Crofton MD address, for example, here’s what I learned in the General Information Report:
COUNCIL DISTRICT:
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Crofton is located within Council District 7
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Crofton’s County Council Official is Edward R. Reilly
PUBLIC SAFETY:
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Police Station – Western District station at 8273 Telegraph Rd.
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Fire Station – Arundel Volunteer Fire Department at 2380 Davidsonville Rd.
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Public Library – Crofton Branch Public Library at 1681 Riedel Rd.
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Senior Center – O’Malley Senior Center at 1275 Odenton Rd.
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Hospital – Anne Arundel Hospital at 2001 Medical Parkway
WASTE MANAGEMENT:
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Crofton trash collection – Monday/Thursday
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Crofton recycling – Monday
Other information in this report includes distance to the nearest facilities (mentioned above), the holiday trash collection schedule for Crofton, the nearest waste management convenience center, a Polling Place Locator, information about roads including a link to the Bureau of Highways, and an aerial photo showing my property and immediate neighbors.
As to the Crofton crime report, I was pleased to see that criminal incidents were down in my neighborhood this year from last. There were no rapes, sex offenses, abductions/kidnapings, or attempted suicides during 2007.
I think MyAnneArundel will be very helpful for current Crofton residents and newcomers alike. Why don’t you give it a try?
WHO WANTS TO MOVE TO FLORIDA – Celebrate “F is for Florida in February” with Margaret on February 7 at 7 p.m., and learn about life in Florida from several Florida real estate agents. More information and reservations
To receive timely notices about new posts to FocusOnCrofton.com, SUBSCRIBE NOW.
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Report Card for Crofton Middle & High Schools
December 30th, 2007 Categories: Crofton Info
Crofton MD Info -
If you poll the residents of Crofton about why they choose to live in this community, most will probably say Crofton-area schools are one of the primary reasons. In fact, many of today’s young Crofton families grew up in the community themselves, and now want the same excellent schools for their own children.
You’ve seen the report card for Crofton-area elementary schools, so now let’s take a look at the local middle and high schools:
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Arundel Senior |
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Central Middle |
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Crofton Middle |
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WHO WANTS TO MOVE TO FLORIDA – Celebrate F is for Florida in February with Margaret on February 7 at 7 p.m., and learn about life in Florida from several Florida real estate agents. More information and reservations
To receive timely notices about new posts to FocusOnCrofton.com, SUBSCRIBE NOW.
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Crofton Schools Report Card
December 30th, 2007 Categories: Crofton Info
Crofton MD Info -
Whether you are considering a move to Anne Arundel County or already live here, it’s likely that good schools are one of your top concerns.
You will find that Crofton area schools consistently rate higher than others in Anne Arundel County and Maryland. But don’t take my word for it… here are links to report cards for each of the local area elementary schools:
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GREATER CROFTON AREA
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: Crofton Elementary
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Crofton Meadows Elementary
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Crofton Woods Elementary
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Davidsonville Elementary
Four Seasons Elementary
Odenton Elementary
Piney Orchard Elementary
Waugh Chapel Elementary
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RELATED LINKS:
- Report Card for Crofton Middle & High Schools
- Ten Crofton Teachers Earn Certification
- Anne Arundel County Public Schools
WHO WANTS TO MOVE TO FLORIDA – Celebrate F is for Florida in February with Margaret on February 7 at 7 p.m., and learn about life in Florida from several Florida real estate agents. More information and reservations
To receive timely notices about new posts to FocusOnCrofton.com, SUBSCRIBE NOW.
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