Bill Levitt’s father Abraham, the Levitt of Levitt & Sons, was born on July 1, 1880 in Brooklyn, New York. At the age of 10, Abraham quit school but never quit learning. He was an avid reeader with a passion for philosophy and gardening. His love of the beauty of flowers and gardens was later reflected in Abraham’s self-appointed role as the landscaper of Levittown. At the age of 20 he resumed his formal education at New York University Law School. He eaned his law degree in 1902, specializing in real estate law. Abraham’s abilities as a facilitaator of land acquisitions by building contractors would lead him to create Levitt & Sons. His oldest son, William, would be the president of the company; his youngest son, Alfred, would be the designer of the homes.

William Jaird Levitt, president of Levitt & sons, was born on February 11, 1907. He was educated in the New York Public Schools. He entered New York University but quit in his third year, at the age of 19. Bill Levitt was ready to pursue his life long goal of making and spending a lot of money.

Bill’s opportunity came in the late 1920’s when his father Abraham was forced to take control of 40 unfinished houses on a tract of land bankrolled by the older Levitt. Abraham convinced Bill and his younger brother Alfred to team up to complete the contruction job. Working with existing construction crews the Levitt sons learned the building business on the job. The 40 houses were quickly completed and sold.

This success inspired Abraham to incorporate Levitt & Sons. Bill Leitt, now 22 years old, was made president. He was in charge of everything but design. Younger brother Alfred, now 17 years old, was made vice president and designer of Levitt homes.

In the midst of the Great Depression Levitt & Sons had great success building housing in exclusive neghborhoods of northern Long Island. They know that the upscale market would be able to afford new luxurious housing in spite of the Depression.

During World War II, as an officer in a Navy Seabees construction unit, Lieutenant Bill Levitt applied what he learned about mass-producing housing. When the war was over Levitt & Sons was ready to make money in the new market of building low cost quatlity housing backed by federal credit.

The site chosen for the first Levittown was Hempstead, Long Island. After completing the 6,000-homeLevittown development in New York, Levitt & sons moved their operation to our area of Bucks County Pennsylvania in 1952. We are close to Trenton, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When Levittown Pennsylvania’s more than 17,000 homes were completed in 1958, Bill Levitt began working on the third Levittown, a 12,000 home project in Willingboro, New Jersey.

In 1954 the Levit brothers, Bill and Alfred, parted company. In the 1960’s Bill continued to have success in smaller building projects in Washington, D.C., Chicago, and in France. After the comnpletion of a 12,000 home community in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Bill Levitt sold the ocmpany to International Telephone & Telegraph Corporation for a personal gain of over $60 million. He met his goal. He was very wealthy. Although later financial reverses erodedhis fortune, his legacy as the most successful creator of mass-produced, qualtiym, low cost housing lives on.