Richland · Benton County
Alphabet Homes & Gold Coast
Richland's original 1943 government-built housing, where homes are still identified by the letter of their floor plan.
- 1,600+
- Built in the war years
- 9
- Original floor plans
- 1943
- First completed
In 1943 the federal government contracted Gustav Albin Pehrson, an engineer and architect from Spokane, to design housing for the Hanford Engineer Works Village. Pehrson labeled each floor plan with a letter of the alphabet, which is why, eighty years later, Richland residents still describe a house as an A house, a B house, or an F house, and everyone knows what is meant.
Eighty years on, residents still call a house an A, a B, or an F, and everyone knows exactly what is meant.
Pehrson's initial set ran to nine house types in varying sizes and configurations, with more added as the town kept growing. More than 1,600 were built during the war years. Some were prefabricated off site in eight-foot sections and assembled on location, and were never intended to be permanent. That is a detail worth knowing, because construction method varies meaningfully between plan types.
Part of this original housing falls within what is known locally as the Gold Coast Historic District. For a buyer, the practical implications are specific rather than romantic: floor plans are standardized and documented, original square footage is modest by current standards, and many homes carry decades of additions and renovations of varying quality. An inspection on a 1943 prefab is a different exercise than an inspection on a new build, and worth budgeting attention for.
Housing Stock
- 1943-onward government-designed homes identified by letter floor plan (A, B, F, H, and others)
- More than 1,600 built during the war years, with additional plan types added as the town expanded
- Some units prefabricated off site in eight-foot sections and assembled on location
- Original square footage generally modest; many homes carry later additions and remodels
- Established mature landscaping and compact, regular original village lots
Getting Around
- Central Richland location with direct access to the Columbia River parkway and downtown Richland
- Roughly 11 miles to Kennewick and 12 miles to Pasco
Parks & Amenities
- Close to the Columbia River shoreline and Howard Amon Park in much of the area
- Close to the Richland Public Library and the downtown Richland commercial core
School District
Listed for reference only. Attendance boundaries change and can differ street to street, so confirm the assigned schools for any specific address directly with the district.
Thinking about Alphabet Homes & Gold Coast?
I’d rather tell you what a place is actually like to buy in than talk you into it. Ask me anything: what’s coming, what to inspect, what it tends to cost.
Area information is gathered from public sources and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Development plans, construction timelines, zoning, utilities and district boundaries change, so verify anything you intend to rely on. Nothing here is a representation about the people who live in an area. All real estate offered is subject to the federal Fair Housing Act and the Washington Law Against Discrimination. Equal Housing Opportunity.