It's the hottest time of year in Texas right now. As you're reading this, the Tournalaid homes in Longview are probably baking in that hazy, choking East Texas heat; if you're reading at night, the temps are only slightly improved, most likely.

This summer marks (as best we can verify) the 77th year these houses have endured under the Texas sun. As fall begins to loom in the distance, it's looking more and more like these architectural marvels will be granted their stay of execution, and many more years of new life, thanks to your support!

Earlier this summer, we were on site meeting with people and taking measurements in preparation for moving the houses to a new location. More details will be announced in progress reports in the coming weeks; here are two pieces of good news from the last few months:

1. The Tournalaid Homes are eligible for historic designation - With the help of Preservation Texas, we are happy to announce that the Texas Historical Commission officially recognized the significance of these buildings through what's called a "letter of determination" and we have a clear path forward to getting them listed on the national registry (even though they are being moved). Why is that important? It will allow us to seek out more sources for grant funding long term for the homes.
2. The Machine-Built Architecture Conservancy has put together a comprehensive plan to restore and manage the homes after they've been moved. More details on this coming very soon!

A Tournalayer in Canada...

If you follow the story of these amazing concrete houses because you find the machinery used to make them interesting, this next story is for you.

If you were to drive 1,500 miles north of Longview, Texas, into a small rural community in Ontario, Canada, you'd pass a pass a small brick school building with a mural on the side...

Look familiar? Yep. That's a Tournalayer machine.

Around 1951, the Canadian provincial goverment was set to get a big public works project underway; rerouting the St. Lawrence river, to create a more navigable seaway for water travel. Unfortunately, that plan included flooding an area known as Iroqouis, a small village that was home to a few hundred victorian style homes.

The town petitioned the government, which agreed to move many (over 150) of the large wood-frame houses to new locations. One of the companies that was awarded the bid to move the houses was Hartshorne House Movers, based in Moorestown, New Jersey.

It's unclear how James Hartshorne came to know about R.G. LeTourneau and his Tournalayer machines, which were busy at the time cranking out houses in California and Israel, but we know a request was made, and R.G. modified his invention to become a full-fledged moving truck.

Spacers were added to extend the width and length of the machine to accomodate larger buildings (the tournalaid houses were only 24' by 32') and steel i-beams were fitted on to run under the houses and lift them off their piers.

Hartshorne purchased at least two of these modified Tournalayers, which would've been shipped by train from the Longview factory.

The houses in Iroqouis were successfully moved out of harms way in time for the river flooding. Our ongoing efforts to locate at least a partial machine continue, though we haven't been able to find one yet; if you've got any ideas, let us know!

It's shaping up to be a hot summer, and we have some exciting things to share!

We are on site in Longview this week!

This coming Thursday and Friday (June 15-16), Stephen Cameron will be in Longview meeting with people and businesses in the community and completing some work on-site at the Tournalaid homes. If you'd like to connect with him while he is there, drop him a quick email!

We have been working with the Texas Historical Foundation and others to secure grant funding for this project and we still need your help! If you haven't joined us yet, there's still time! Any donation over 100 dollars gets you a sweet Tournalaid t-shirt (in yellow or grey).

Location, location

We were shocked to learn about the sudden closure of NuCor steel in Longview, especially since we had been in talks with them about utilizing a site on their property to relocate the homes.

A main focus of our time on-site in Longview will be spent finalizing relocation plans with Komatsu and other stakeholders. We look forward to sharing the outcomes with everyone in the coming weeks!

Relevant to today

The more we learn about the interesting design and history of the Tournalaid homes, the more we see them as a pre-cursor to today's technology.

The massive boom in 3D-printed concrete housing by companies like Icon3D and Diamond Age remind us of that exciting period in American history after WWII, where new and innovative housing construction methods were being tested and improved upon.

These two near-original condition Tournalaid houses in Longview, standing strong after 70+ years, are a stark reminder that so much of this "new" technology can trace its' way back to Tournalaid.

A lot of housing discourse, I found the Tournalaid homes very cool. Poured concrete in a movable form in a day, then on to the next house. Modular construction at its finest after the war. https://t.co/VjE0ELE9Qv pic.twitter.com/YZKoDhMUhJ

— Red (@redbuckman) June 1, 2023

tired: "Marvel at the new idea of 3D-printing an entire house!"
wired: "Neat, an updated version of what Tournalaid was doing in the '40s."

(galaxy brain is—of course—Longview actually preserving the cool houses that predate all those affordable housing SXSW pitches by decades)

— Stef Schrader (@stefthepef) January 15, 2023

The t-shirts are here, and just in time for a flurry of activity at the Tournalaid houses!

Starting today...

We will be shipping out free t-shirts and hats to paid subscribers/donors who pledge over $100 to the Tournalaid project. If you haven't already joined up by subscribing or making a one-time donation, please consider it, because....

We still have a long way to go!

A few weeks ago, we published the full budget and timeline to save the homes before time runs out. (you can check it out here) To ensure all the preparations are made to relocate the houses to their permanent location, we need your help!

Speaking of permanent spots, We are making headway towards announcing the new location of the homes! We feel strongly that its important to keep them as close to the grounds and the LeTourneau legacy as possible, and we are in talks with a number of landowners about various ways to secure a long term location.

In other news, if you didn't catch it, the houses were listed on Texas' "Most Endangered Places" roster a few weeks ago.

Some much-awaited updates to all the things happening behind the scenes, and some more background history on the Tournalaid homes.

Quick Updates

We are preparing to publish our full project timeline and fundraising budget (which is north of $200k) but wanted to share that we are already 26% funded thanks to your support!

We have a long way to go in a short amount of time; a relocation date could be as soon as this fall. Here's a few things to know:

• Great options are forming on the land for the home relocation
• Preparations are being made to begin site and structural testing of the homes
• We now have an instagram which will have updates that can't be found here\
• Keep an eye out for announcements about the full project timeline

And now, some history...

What makes a house?...

Some would say it is creative and laborious synergy that happens between an architect, engineer, a future homeowner, and eager real estate agent. In the first half of the 20th century in America, however, this was not so much the case.

It was no longer man versus machine, but man and machine together, mechanizing the perception of what a dwelling could be. America was beginning to see change in the form of post-war housing. Houses were being built faster, and within this architectural modernism, they were being built with much greater ease.

The successes of these prefabricated residences were primarily marketed by manufacturers and entrepreneurs, rather than architects. Drawing on the pre-war success of Sears-Roebuck's "catalog homes", which arrived by train car, by 1947, there were already guides being published in which you could contact manufacturers and potentially “order” a house to your front door.

One of these guides was The Prefabricated House: A Practical Guide for the Prospective Buyer and it contained 183 contacts for manufacturing companies. But why were Americans turning to this new architectural modernism? The answer could simply be that the labor force was scarce due to the second World War and that Americans wanted to work smarter, not harder.

William Levitt successfully applied the “tuning” of prefabricated homes along with Henry Ford’s techniques of mass-production to create inexpensive, single-family homes that soldiers returning from war could and “ordinary citizens” could move into and start a family. In order to do this, Levitt began building three separate communities, also known as Levittown communities. These communities, the first consisting of around 17,000 homes, provided their inhabitants with a life outside the city in peaceful suburbia.

However, what started as avant-garde quickly became suffocating for architects who were displeased with the conforming, cookie-cutter structures. Architects removed the appearance of handwork from the modernist forms as they appeared to be generated by seemingly soulless processes, despite the fact that these prefabricated homes were made with traditional materials and simple tools.

The smattering of prefabricated houses still standing today are a testimony to 20th-century innovation that was solution and salvation for many Americans after the war. Today, many of the homes from that era are being preserved and appreciated in tribute to the delicate engineering that was in many ways ahead of its time.

More and more, we see the scenario replayed of Man versus Machine, but the Tournalaid homes are no such thing. They are a symbol of synergy between technology and man; a symbol of what can be done when machine and man are in harmony with each other.

Right off the bat, if you made your way here by way of US Modernist, welcome! Take a minute to check out the short back-story of these amazing homes and watch the videos.

Now, on to the updates for today!

I don't usually enjoy being proven wrong, but in this case I am very happy!

In our last progress report, and earlier in January when I spoke with KLTV, I thought there were only 30-40 of these amazing concrete houses built near the LeTourneau factory in Longview. I said as much!

Well, with the help of a handful of people, we have confirmed that, in fact, all of the planned 80 homes next to the Longview LeTourneau factory were actually built!

In other news, we are still in communication with Komatsu, getting our ducks in a row from a legal liability standpoint before we begin the real work of relocating and preserving these homes! More to come on that in the next update, but we are hopeful this process will start rolling ahead full steam in the next 4-6 weeks.

Keep an eye out for a formalized project timeline in the next update as well!

Howdy 👋

3 things for you today...

1. A handful of updates
2. A new way to support the project
3. A cool story and Idea

Updates for the week

• We are excited to share that we are on track to have all the "legal mumbo jumbo" squared away with Komatsu in the next few weeks, which will allow us to finally start planning site visits with architects, engineers and other service providers.
• On that note, Stephen has been talking to the civil engineering department at LeTourneau University about ways to bring the department staff and students on site to learn from these buildings and potentially lend a hand in the planning process; more to come on that.
• The last update has to do with a new way to support and join us in our efforts...

We formed a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization..

Specifically created to save these homes. It's called the Machine-Built Architecture Conservancy Why did we do this? A few reasons.

For any local businesses who formally want to donate time or services to this project, it's simpler to use a dedicated organization than to try to donate to a larger nonprofit that isn't focused on only saving these homes. It also allows us to accept tax-deductible smaller donations from the many people who have reached out about donating over the last few weeks.

So how can I donate?

Right now we have set up 2 ways, which you can read more about here: Donate Today!

• Either a one-time donation of as little at $5, or..
• By adding a donation to your email subscription (don't worry, the free option is always going to be there!)

The donation tiers DO come with some little additional perks, so be sure to check them out and ask any questions by contacting us at hello@tournalaid.com

And finally, a story...

As we've been learning more about the history surrounding these homes, and more specifically, the whole neighborhood that existed next to the factory in Longview, we came across an old layout map showing where some homes were planned.

For anyone counting, there were a little over 80 homes slated to be built here. While we haven't confirmed exact numbers, we are fairly certain what's on this map was never fully built out. BUT we did learn that some other homes were built across highway 281 and on other nearby land, bringing the total number of homes to at least 80 at it's peak. This doesn't include the three built at Talley Bottom (but that's another story that's still being investigated!).

All of this staring down at maps led to an interesting idea: call it a 4th backup plan perhaps. Stephen explains below...

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tournalaid Homes (@tournalaid)

That's all for today! Stay tuned.

Another whirlwind week!.. this effort officially began around the first of the year, and with your help, we have some real, measurable results starting to come in!

From here we will continue to communicate with Komatsu towards a closer working relationship. We think the fact that a multi-national corporation with headquarters in Japan responded positively in under two weeks is a testament to Komatsu Longview's efforts to be a positive force in the community... and to the power y'all have when you take a little action to save some old homes!

So many stories have been flooding in from all over the world from people impacted in some way by these amazing homes or the man and his machine that made them. While we sort through some of these to share in the coming weeks, we stumbled on an article in the May 1946 issue of Popular Mechanics. Check it out!

It's been a week since we submitted our petition to save the Tournalaid homes in Longview from being demolished, and so much has happened since then!

Before we jump in, if you're new here and still getting up to speed, be sure to check out our detailed plan to safely relocate these historic homes.

The big picture

Beyond just avoiding an impromptu "midnight demolition", the hope in sending our petition to Komatsu (and making it public at the same time) was always to win Komatsu over to the idea that the project is feasible, and for them to partner with us to make a "best effort" to save the structures. We feel very strongly that we are quickly bringing the right people together to help Komatsu not be left "holding the bag" to save these homes all by their self.

While we don't have anything official to relay yet, we can share that Stephen has had informal discussion with key stakeholders at the company and that the general outlook is a positive one. This is great news! 🎉

Since last Friday, the story has been picked up by local news and social media.

What's up next?

There has been a whirlwind of conversations, all happening simultaneously. Here are a few that we are excited to share more about in the coming weeks:

• Ongoing discussion with LeTourneau University stakeholders about future placement of the buildings AND bringing the civil engineering department officially into the project
• Officially naming local crane, rigging and transport companies that are excited to partner with us on the relocation
• Finding a 3rd Tournalaid home! (it's nearby, and has been significantly modified, but we will share that story soon)

Finally, for anyone who has reached out to us about sharing a story of their own about these amazing little houses and the machine that built them, we have built a form you can fill out to share your story and easily upload any pictures or files you think we should have!

For immediate release:

Longview, January 13, 2023 – An open, public letter has been delivered by our team to Komatsu Mining Corp.'s human resources department. We feel it is important that the community be aware of what is happening with these historic homes. Below, you can find a copy of the letter sent to Komatsu, and the full text for easier reading.

I grew up in Longview, and was surprised to only find out about these concrete houses as an adult. The "built-in-a-day" all concrete construction R.G. came up with was way ahead of its' time and truly represents the innovative and hardworking spirit of Longview. It wasn't until our team of architects and preservation experts started asking questions that we realized these two Tournalaid homes are most likely the very last of their kind in the world. I believe Komatsu will absolutely want to work with us to relocate these architectural treasures.

- Stephen Cameron, Longview native and petition sponsor

FULL TEXT OF LETTER TO KOMATSU: The two original Tournalaid homes, which are located on property you now own and are presumably in the way of future construction and set to be demolished, are architecturally and culturally significant to the history of Longview and the legacy of R.G. LeTourneau and MUST BE SAVED.

In the 1940’s and 1950’s, hundreds of these homes were built at various LeTourneau facilities and communities in America and abroad. The technology and machinery used to build these unique concrete structures was revolutionary at the time and is no longer in existence. We have confirmed it is most likely that the two homes about to be torn down are the last two in the world of their kind. We strongly believe that preserving these homes is aligned with the mission and values held by Komatsu.

We are asking you (Komatsu) to do the following:

1. Immediately stop any plans to disturb or demolish the homes.
2. Work together with us to preserve these priceless artifacts.

We have put together a Preservation Plan that involves efficiently moving these homes out of the way of your future factory within a short time frame, with support from key Longview companies to keep costs down. It is our sincere hope that you will partner with us and other community resources to save these structures for future generations.

For comment: hello@tournalaid.com

The history of the TournaLayer and TournaLaid home communities begins with the invention of the Tourna-Layer machine by R.G. LeTourneau.

LeTourneau was an inventor and entrepreneur who was born in Richford, VT in 1888. He was an innovator in the construction industry. It’s estimated that over 70% of all dirt moved by the allied forces of WWII was done with a LeTourneau machine.

After the second world war, he created the Tourna-Layer, a revolutionary machine that could construct a concrete home in a day. LeTourneau’s invention of the Tourna-Layer revolutionized the construction industry and had a lasting impact on the post-war home building industry.

The machine was able to lay foundation and walls, as well as roofing, in a single day. The Tourna-Layer allowed for quick and efficient construction of homes, while also providing a high level of quality and durability.

The machine allowed for rapid construction of homes for returning veterans and their families. LeTourneau’s invention of the Tourna-Layer was followed by the creation of the TournaLaid home communities. These communities were built near LeTourneau’s factories in Mississippi and Texas, and were designed to provide affordable housing for returning veterans, with homes being constructed using the Tourna-Layer machine.

These homes were of high quality and were often equipped with modern amenities, such as indoor plumbing and electricity, and even heated flooring, which were not available in most homes at the time. The Tourna-Layer machine has been used to construct homes around the world, including in Israel and South America.

R.G. Letourneau (1888-1969) was a pioneer in the field of heavy construction equipment.

Letourneau began his career working as a mechanic in a blacksmith shop, but he eventually started his own business repairing and building farm machinery. In the 1930s, he developed a series of self-propelled scrapers that revolutionized the construction industry.

During World War II, Letourneau's company produced a wide range of equipment for the military, including bulldozers, graders, and excavators. After the war, the company continued to grow and expand, producing a wide variety of heavy construction equipment for both military and civilian use.

Letourneau was known for his innovative designs and his commitment to quality. He was also a devout Christian and used his business as a platform to spread his faith. He died on June 1, 1969, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most important figures in the history of heavy construction equipment.