At the beginning of the 20th-century, the United States had a problem—a “small house problem.” There was a lack of affordable, single-family homes for middle-class families. Enter architect John Joseph Earley. Just outside of Washington, D.C., between 1934 and 1935, Earley designed and built five Art Deco homes. Earley felt a strong need for what he called “social justice” after the Great Depression. He hoped his patented design would provide an avenue to affordable housing that would fit modest budgets and expand opportunities for people seeking to own their own…
