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| Americana Homes ad appearing in the 12/01/63 Review Journal |
We've known that Americana Homes was behind the houses
built on Seneca Lane, Seneca Circle, and on Ottawa Drive between Spencer and Algonquin (first shown
here
in 2011); however, recent research unveils a bit more information and confirms
a few facts that show Americana Homes built more of Paradise Palms than originally
thought. These ads individually confirm that
at various times Americana had model homes at Spencer and Ottawa, Spencer and
Twain, Tioga and Geronimo and at Cherokee and Spencer, establishing that
Americana was the builder behind the Maricopa Way cul-de-sac and the Tioga/Geronimo
Way ‘island’.
The article below from February
1964 announces Americana Homes had bought 31 lots, including the last 9 lots available
on the Stardust Championship Golf Course. Those 9 lots were individually spread out along Ottawa Drive, Pueblo Way and Tioga Way. The remaining 22 lots indicated in the article comprise the Maricopa Way
cul-de-sac, the first six lots on the west side of Spencer Street north of
Cherokee, and the first four lots at the southwest corner of Cherokee and
Spencer.
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| 02/22/64 |
Americana announced a second sales office opening in
Paradise Palms, eventually located on the west side of Tioga Way between
Geronimo and Cochise. Home buyers were
offered a range of tract and semi-custom home options with sixteen different
elevations to pick from. Home sales were
so robust in 1964 that Americana had begun offering fully-furnished models for
sale, including the original models on Ottawa Drive just west of Spencer. A second model was constructed and furnished
at the northwest corner of Twain and Spencer, which was sold by the fall of
that year. The 1964 Americana Homes
weren’t cheap either – priced between $31,200 and $40,950, translating into
$235,100 to $308,500 in 2013 dollars - meant that original buyers were willing to pay a premium for Paradise Palms.
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| Second Americana Sales Office Opening, 03/08/64 |
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| Former Americana Model & Sales Office, northwest corner of Twain & Spencer 49 years later - home still retains the original wood shake roof |
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| Americana Homes Ad 3/15/64 - Models at Twain & Spencer and at Tioga Way |
This second article from August 1964 indicates that the
home located on the southwest corner of Cherokee and Spencer was the newest
Americana model, a home which had the distinction of once hosting the French
Colony for a cocktail & swim party. Current
aerial imagery indicates that the unique pool with built-in snack tables described
in the article is still intact and in existence. We
also learn from this article that Marshall Secrest was the owner and founder of
Americana Homes, and that his prior building activity had been exclusively
limited to California. The remaining following images offer rare
glimpses inside the Americana Models and the handiwork of interior designer C.
Tony Pereria.
If you still can’t get
enough Americana, our friend Jack LeVine at
Very Vintage Vegas has a beautifully
preserved and intact Americana Homes
Plan
A2, The Devonshire, for sale on Seneca Lane. Check out these great images of that home
here.
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| 08/16/64 |
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| Later Americana Homes Ad - Models at Cherokee & Spencer 06/28/64 |
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| Sketch of Americana Home, 05/17/64 |
Well-preserved 1964 Americana home located on
Spencer Street, just north of Cherokee. Home is mirror-image of
sketch above, still boasting original five-panel garage door as depicted in
builder’s rendering.
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| 5/24/64 - Check out that couch! |
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| Typical Americana Homes streamlined fireplace & original wood paneling 49 years after construction, similar to photo above (photo courtesy Jack LeVine) |
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| Americana Homes Model Bedroom as it appeared 3/22/64 |
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| Americana Homes Model Kitchen as it appeared 2/09/64 |
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| Preserved Americana Kitchen 49 years later - even boasts original kitchen light fixtures (photo courtesy Jack LeVine) |
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