[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16938]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING LEVITOWN'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JAMES C. GREENWOOD

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 17, 2002

  Mr. GREENWOOD. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today 
to commemorate the golden anniversary of a community in my district 
that revolutionized suburban living in America: Levittown, 
Pennsylvania. In honor of this anniversary, I would like to submit the 
following proclamation for the record:
  Whereas Levittown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was created fifty 
years ago, beginning with twenty families who moved into their homes on 
June 23, 1952;
  Whereas this benchmark in American housing resulted from the 
collaboration of attorney Abraham Levitt and his sons, architect Alfred 
S. Levitt and businessman William J. Levitt;
  Whereas William Levitt's innovative mass-production technique 
resulted in 17,000 affordable homes that were constructed at a record 
pace;
  Whereas these new and vibrant neighborhoods were spread among the 
Bucks County municipalities of Falls, Middletown, and Bristol 
Townships, and Tullytown Borough;
  Whereas Levitt created not only the prototypical suburban home with 
its spacious interiors and fully landscaped exteriors, but he also 
designed entire neighborhoods that grew into coherent communities;
  Whereas Levittown became the realization of the American Dream for 
thousands of families, many of who served their country during the 
Second World War;
  Whereas Levittown has evolved into the quintessential example of 
America's melting pot middle class, as it houses a diverse population 
of ethnicities and religious traditions;
  Be it resolved, therefore, that the U.S. House of Representatives 
recognize the fiftieth anniversary of Levittown, an anniversary that 
marks an epochal achievement in American housing.

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