A special paper I wrote during my internship with the City of Fort Worth. This paper describes the move from large front yards to large rear yards of homes in the Historic Districts of Fort Worth starting in the 1940s. This was written as part of research I preformed to improve upon the city's Historic Guidelines. It was very interesting to research this trend and how it influenced modern homes all over Fort Worth.

1. Brian Campbell
10/3/2012
The Move Towards Rear Yards
The move towards rear yards, as viewed from a social-historical point of view, is a
phenomenon that can be traced all the way back to the 1940s and the days of World War
II. Before this time, America had adopted a policy of isolation, meaning that the country
would not align itself with any foreign countries nor get involved in any war outside of
the western hemisphere. This ideology was abandoned after the Japanese bombed Pearl
Harbor. Our country was now viewed as a “safe haven” for immigrants, who migrated in
mass quantities to escape the tyranny of the Axis Powers. While we were fighting to end
racism abroad, we were struggling with that concept here as many Americans wished for
housing to put distance between themselves and immigrants who were taking up
residence. This helped fuel streamlined house building, such as so-called “Levittowns”,
named for the brothers William and Alfred Levitt. A good example of this could be
found in California.. A lack of housing for middle and upper-class people coupled with
the influx of African Americans migrating here to support the war effort inspired real
estate developers to establish “all-white” neighborhoods, such as San Rafael in Pasadena.
What was unique about all of these rapidly built houses is that now they were becoming
more economical in size and now featured larger yards in the front and more importantly,
in the rear.
There was a sharp focus on domestic issues during this time. Raising children was
becoming the major staple of the American family. America’s involvement in war had

2. deep social implications and there was only so much war people could stand, especially
following the horrors of the Holocaust. Families enjoyed the privacy that came with
large backyards. A big front porch was likely seen as equivalent to “exposing yourself to
the enemy”. Large rear yards could also provide occupants with both protection and
food. Air raid shelters could be constructed in case of nuclear fallout and victory gardens
alleviated dependency of food stamps. So in essence, the backyard became both a place
to escape the perils of the war and symbolic of the “American Dream”. Owning one at
this time said that person was doing alright for his or herself. In a time filled with much
uncertainty, having something so important that was also remained a constant in life
probably helped to give those individuals a peace of mind. This trend would continue
throughout our country’s history as we continued to find ourselves involved in war and
other affairs abroad. It is no wonder that there is much pride in owning a large rear yard,
even to this very day. It certainly is much more than just a piece of land! It is highly
symbolic of the security a family or even an individual seeks to obtain during times of
global strife.

3. Web Pages Used:
1. Fullerton Heritage: Colonial Revival:
http://www.fullertonheritage.org/Resources/archstyles/colonial.htm
2. Fullerton Heritage: Post WWII Tract Homes:
http://www.fullertonheritage.org/Resources/archstyles/postww2.htm
3. The City of Pasadena:
http://cityofpasadena.net/library/in_around_about_pasadena/neighborh
oods/san_rafael/
4. The Washington Times Communities:
http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/conscience-
realist/2012/may/13/all-american-truth-about-traditional-family-values/
5. Lone Star College: http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-
War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf
6. American Foreign Policy Between Wars:
http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-
War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf
7. Postwar Suburbanization: Homogenization or the American Dream?:
http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-
War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf

4. 8. Wikipedia: History of U.S. Foreign Policy:
http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-
War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf
9. World War II Homefront Era:
http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Post-
War_Suburbanization_Homogenization%28PrinterFriendly%29.pdf
10. Isolationism: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1601.html
11. Fallout Shelters: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3706.html