Background
Abraham Levitt was born in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, the son of Louis Levitt, a rabbi who emigrated from Russia, and Nellie Levitt, who was born in Austria-Germany. The family was poor.
Abraham Levitt was born in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, the son of Louis Levitt, a rabbi who emigrated from Russia, and Nellie Levitt, who was born in Austria-Germany. The family was poor.
Abraham left school at the age of ten to do odd jobs, but he was an avid reader and attended meetings of literary and social clubs. He passed a New York State Regents examination to gain entrance to New York University Law School when twenty. While at New York University he wrote a successful study guide on real estate law for fellow students. In 1902 he received his LL. B.
In 1903 Levitt was admitted to the New York State Bar. He practiced real estate law in New York City until 1929. In 1929 Levitt founded the construction firm of Levitt and Sons. William Jaird Levitt, who was made president of the firm, brought to the post entrepreneurial drive, salesmanship, and organizational abilities; Alfred Stuart Levitt, as vice-president, contributed the house and community designs that were the hallmarks of the firm in its heyday, the two decades following World War II. Levitt, as chairman of the board, supplied legal know-how, a philosophical outlook, and the maturity necessary for a stable company. Although most of the publicity about the firm focused on William's role, Levitt maintained that William would not have succeeded without Alfred, nor Alfred without William.
The Levitt and Sons' reputation was inextricably linked to the contributions of the three principals. During the 1930's the firm profitably custombuilt about 2, 500 houses, mainly in Rockville Centre and Manhasset, in Nassau County, New York. Characterized as "one of the best-known home-building firms in the New York district, " Levitt and Sons in 1942 won federal contracts to build houses for workers and military personnel near Norfolk, Virginia. Of some 2, 300 houses built, the second set of 757 units, for naval officers, was the more successful. Norfolk provided an opportunity for the firm to experiment with its ideas to simplify and standardize the house building process.
National and international fame came from the construction of Levittown, New York, after World War II. Levitt, president of the firm during William's absence as a World War II officer, talked as early as October 1944 of planning a community of 6, 000 low-priced homes. Contracts already were being executed for land and equipment. Between 1947 and 1951, the Levitts built 17, 447 four- and five-bedroom houses fully equipped with appliances in an area of 7. 3 square miles that cut across five postal districts on Long Island. Completely landscaped, "Cape-Cod-type" houses were originally rented for $65 a month, and later sold for around $8, 500; "Ranch-type" houses sold for less than $10, 000. Variety was obtained by employing standardized floor plans with a series of different facades, and by placing the houses at different distances from the curbs on winding streets. Greens containing stores, playgrounds, and swimming pools were strategically placed throughout the development. Although the community suffered growing pains, Levittown is considered a masterful building achievement. Similar communities were later built by the firm in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Puerto Rico, and in Israel and France.
By 1962 the firm had built more than 100, 000 houses. After the deaths of Abraham Levitt and Alfred, William sold the company in 1968 to the International Telephone and Telegraph Company for a reputed $92 million. The Levitt house-community building revolution was based on well-designed, functional, and attractive communities; standardized interiors behind a variety of exterior facades; rationalized construction incorporating precut and some preassembled components, which reduced the need for on-site skilled labor; subcontracting on an incentive basis; utilization of power-driven tools; direct purchasing from manufacturers; and integration of the firm through wholly owned subsidiaries from raw materials production through sales. This approach brought the Levitts into conflict with local building codes, marketing systems, and collective bargaining agreements. Their revolution, however, was not a social revolution. They built for "Caucasians, " and maintained a "white only" policy as long as it remained legal to do so. Their defense was that they would not be able to sell homes if they diverged from local discriminatory mores. When the courts struck down these policies nationally, Levitt and Sons employed educational and sociological techniques to prepare their communities for racial integration. Levitt was responsible for the landscaping of these large building projects.
In addition to the planning and supervising, he conferred with residents about the maintenance of the grounds. His company brochure, The Care of Your Lawn and Landscaping, was followed by an article, "Fruit Is Fine for Little Gardens" (American Home, January 1950). His weekly column in the Levittown Tribune, "Chats on Gardening" (begun in 1948), emphasized order, cleanliness, floral beauty, and open space for an aesthetically pleasing community as well as the maintenance of property values. Clauses governing these elements were incorporated into Levitt and Sons' rental and sales contracts. Alfred asserted that "almost everything we have learned about improving the appearance of our communities, we have learned from Father. Every social idea this company had was the result of Father's pressing and persuading. "
Levitt was a knowledgeable and effective businessman. His associates recall him as gentle, kind, friendly, and generous. His philanthropies included the Levitt Foundation (created by him and his sons in 1946); the United Jewish Appeal, which honored Levitt and his sons in May 1952; and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, where he served as the first chairman (1955) and honorary chairman (1956 - 1962). The Levittown, Long Island, community erected a plaque (sculpted by Julio Kilenyi) in his honor on October 28, 1951. Levitt lived out his last years in Great Neck, New York, and died at the North Shore Hospital.
Abraham Levitt was known for the foundation of Levitt & Sons, a real estate development company. The company was most famous for having built the town of Levittown, New York. The company's designs and building practices totally revolutionized the entire Home Building Industry and altered America's landscape with massive suburban communities.
Levitt married Pauline A. Biederman on January 9, 1906. They had two sons, William Jaird and Alfred Stuart. The family's home environment was described as "argumentative"--Levitt discussed with his sons such diverse subjects as baseball and art. Both sons attended New York University, but neither obtained a degree.
