If you walk down the beautiful tree lined sidewalks of Paradise Green, a tiny, yellow home just might go unnoticed as you pass by. Not me, I think about that tiny gem every time. You are not forgotten, tiny home.
223 Reed Street is, what I believe to be, the smallest single family home in the Paradise Green neighborhood. It may even be the smallest home in all of Stratford. This one bedroom, one bathroom house has only 492 square feet of living space. That’s the area of a generously sized one-bedroom New York City apartment!
The lot size is also abnormally small, coming in at 3,920 square feet. Most older homes like this have non-conforming lot sizes which really just means that houses were built too close together by today’s standards. Most non-conforming lots are in the 5-6,000 square foot range, making 3,920 exceptionally small. These details might just give us a clue as to what was going on in the world when this home was built.
In September and October of 1929, Wall Street experienced the Great Crash. This crash happened long before safety measures were put in place to limit trading and protect people during a panic-causing market sell off. This was a very difficult time in America, one which put an end to the success of the roaring 1920’s. The recession that followed ultimately led to smaller homes being constructed and more modest investments.
This small yellow abode was built in 1930, right in the period of time where funding new construction must have been quite difficult. As someone who lives in a small 1930’s home myself, I often think about how the economy must have affected the lives of the people who lived in these small homes. While some who pass by may look down upon these unassuming homes, one thing is certain: those who live and have lived in them, are grateful to have them.
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Information posted is merely the opinion of Time or Space for entertainment purposes only. All information published can be found in Town Records which is made available to the Public.
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Vintage Home: Stylish ideas and 50 Home Projects
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