During the 1920s and 1930s, there was a national contest called Better Homes in America. In February 1930, local real estate agent James D. Crawford obtained the building permit to build the home that now stands at 2940 Ventura Drive. The cost was $4,500 to build the home and garage. Unfortunately, the name of the architect was not mentioned. In April 1930, when the paint was barely dry, the home won an award for “Distinctive Small House.” The home’s current owner, Charmien Carrier, proudly showed me the framed copy of the award, which is signed by Pearl Chase.
The Better Homes in America campaign began in 1922 for a couple of reasons. One was the shortage of buildings after World War I and the Spanish flu. The campaign may also have been related to the fact that women finally gained the right to vote in 1919, so politicians began to focus on women and the importance of the home.
Vice President Calvin Coolidge wrote in 1922, “Apparently the world at large, certainly our own country, is turning more and more for guidance to the wisdom born of affection which we call the intuition of woman. Her first thought is always of the home. Her first care is for its provision. As our laws and customs are improved by her influence, it is likely to be first in the direction of greater facility for acquiring and greater security in holding a home” (The Delineator, October 1922).