The ranch house style of housing emerged in the 1930s and came to dominate the suburbs (see entry under 1950s—The Way We Lived in volume 3) by the 1950s. The style comes from Southwestern house styles, one-story pueblos, and Spanish colonial houses that expressed freedom and space. The ranch house normally stands one story tall, with asymmetrical roof lines, and a garage that faces the street and often dominates the entry of the house.

The ranch house became common in the suburbs; its rambling design made possible by the abundance of space outside cities and the popularity of cars to drive to work. The ranch house reflected what many Americans seemed to want in their lives: their own plot of land; an open, spacious house with close connections to the outdoors; and lots of leisure amenities: swimming pools, barbecue grills, swing sets for the kids, and...