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Joseph Eichler
Joseph L. Eichler
was born in 1900. He was the son of an Austrian-Jewish
immigrant who owned a toy store in New York. Joe received
a business degree from New York University in 1920. Five
years later he married the daughter of Polish-Jewish immigrants
and by 1930 they had 2 children. The Eichlers moved to
San Francisco after their marriage so Joe could work as
the chief financial officer of his wife's family wholesale
butter & egg business where he worked for the next
twenty years. He wasn't necessarily happy in this position,
but it provided a good living for a family man during
the Great Depression.
When Eichler finally branched off into running his own
business he soon became responsible for every aspect of
Eichler Homes. Though he had no technical training or
construction experience, he became a master builder. Where
other builders cut corners, simplified designs and avoided
architects, Eichler hired advocates of the same Modern
principles he believed in. His goal was to build complex
and sophisticated homes in the most efficient manner.
And he succeeded. His homes were so efficiently built
- he could afford to use more expensive materials and
skilled workmen and yet still come in with a moderately
priced home.
"Other builders produce well-built houses and sell
at a fair profit. The purchaser will get a good value.
We believe our houses go beyond this because much more
thought and care go into them. Nothing is spent for frills
or gimmicks. Beauty is achieved by the architects' skill
in designing details, his blend of materials and proper
proportions, and above all the exercise of good taste.
In short, we produce a work of art that has gained international
reputation."
Eichler was a unique character. His role model was Fred
Astaire and he was known to have a flair for fashion and
look quite dashing in his gray slacks and navy sport coat.
His charm went beyond visual looks however, and he was
also known to be honest and forthright, have a good sense
of humor and a moral side to him. He was a strong advocate
of fair housing and was the first large, tract builder
to sell to minorities. He even built a home on his own
lot for an NAACP leader. In fact he resigned from the
Association of Home Builders in 1958 when racial discrimination
policies would not change. He never turned a home buyer
down because of race or creed - long before it became
the law. According to legend, Joe even offered to buy
back homes from those who had trouble accepting their
neighbors. He was heard to say to unhappy owners, "If,
as you claim, this will destroy property values, I could
lose millions...You should be ashamed of yourselves for
wasting your time and mine with such pettiness."
Ultimately Eichler was interested in building communities.
His participation in the famed Case Study Program centered
around a revolutionary tract with shared green space between
homes. He hired architects who were more interested in
being innovative rather than following trends. And as
a result, numerous communities like Balboa Highlands stand
in testament to one man's vision.
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