By Carolyn Keister Baker -- Daily Staff Writer

If a member of the family doesn't own one of these popular one-story homes, certainly it's not hard to think of friends and acquaintances who do.

Ranch houses — modest and rambling — are everywhere, scattered in rural and suburban neighborhoods across America, including subdivisions devoted solely to this style of house.

Enjoying their original heyday from the post-World War II era to the 1970s, ranches are making a comeback, experts say.

Homebuyers are specifying them by name.

"People seem to be interested in living and buying ranch houses," says historic preservation consultant James C. Massey of Strasburg. "They are tired of going up and down stairs."

In split-level homes, "no matter which way you go, you have to [climb] up and down stairs," he says.

Americans have a renewed interest in the postwar era and a feeling of nostalgia for this entire period. Couples are collecting 1950s style furnishings. Museums are dedicated to the period, including the 1950s Park Forest House Museum, 40 miles south of Chicago.

More specifically, a magazine titled Atomic Ranch is exclusively devoted to postwar ranches and modernist tract homes, according to the publication's Web site. Books are written on ranch home living, and Web sites explain the roots of this style house.

In addition, Massey and his wife, Shirley Maxwell, also a historic preservation consultant, together have written an article on ranch houses, which will appear in the May-June issue of Old House Journal available on newsstands this month.

A ranch house is often defined as a single-story home with a low-pitched roof and an open floor plan. But not every single-story home is a ranch.

Special features of ranch homes set them apart from one-story Colonials, cottages and modern-style homes: horizontal lines; a low-pitched gable or hip roof with overhanging eaves; a long, shallow front porch or a recessed entrance porch; an attached garage or carport; a picture window in the living room; and sliding glass patio doors at the rear of the house, Massey and Maxwell explain.

Ranch houses can be linear or L-shaped. They are sometimes U-shaped and V-shaped, the couple say.

The ranch was inspired by the rural, informal ranch homes of California and the Southwest built in the early to mid-19th century, Massey explains. It wasn't until 1932 that the first modern ranch-style home was built by Cliff May in San Diego.

"May is credited as the father of the modern ranch house," Massey says.

But not until Abraham Levitt and Sons developed a planned community called Levittown in the late 1940s in Pennsylvania were these homes constructed in large numbers, according to the Web site www.ranchrevival.com.

Homes were in great demand as World War II veterans sought to buy for their families, Massey explains.

"They had money in their pockets because of the GI bill," he says.

Developers were building ranch houses by the thousands.

Starting out small, over the years ranch houses grew in size decade by decade, Massey says.

Lyle F. Cameron Jr., of Strasburg, thought he would enjoy living in a two-story house. But when he reached the point in his life when he could afford his own home, Cameron chose to buy a ranch.

Cameron believes nostalgia could have had something to do with his decision — even if it was only in his subconscious. His grandmother lived in a ranch home, and so did his parents. When Cameron was 7 or 8 years old, his parents bought a three-bedroom, one-bath ranch-style house with a basement in Manassas, he says.

But his primary reason for buying a ranch-style home at 297 Royal Ave. was practical.

"I went with the ranch style because of the convenience and not having to climb stairs twice a day," Cameron states.

Cameron enjoys views of the mountains from two picture windows, one on the east side of the house and one on the west side. He also enjoys the open floor plan, which offers ease in entertaining.

"You can look from the kitchen right into the family room," Cameron says. The same is true with the dining room. "Not only is the house fairly open, but there is a lot of natural light. You don't have to keep lots of lamps turned on during the day."

Now that ranch homes are more than 50 years old, not only are they getting a new look from homeowners, but they also are being examined by architectural historians and considered for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, Massey and Maxwell say.

While few will be judged on their own, most will be considered as part of an historic district, they say.

What makes them so attractive to homebuyers these days is the convenience of one-story living, which is especially attractive to the baby boomer generation, local real estate agents agree.

"The ranches are coming back into the picture more than I can remember in the past," says Dora Buck, president of the Massanutten Association of Realtors and co-owner and administrative broker of Sager Real Estate in Strasburg. Baby boomers are "buying this home for their last home. They want one level. They don't want to deal with steps."

First-time home buyers also are interested in this style house, says Anna L. McDonald, president of the Blue Ridge Association of Realtors and a 14-year veteran Realtor. "First-time homebuyers lean toward the ranch because it is more affordable."

Families want an open floor plan, Buck adds. With the kitchen, living room and dining room all open, "you can see what is going on. That is still very popular. People like that feel."

"One-level homes can accommodate when the kids are home and when they kids are gone," says McDonald, who lives in a ranch. When one of her children left the nest, the family converted one bedroom into an office.

Homebuyers also like a floor plan featured in some ranches with the master bedroom on one side of the house and the other bedrooms on the other side. "Parents in particular like that set up," Buck says.

Garages are important as well to baby boomers. "Baby boomers want storage in their garage," Buck adds.

Ranch homes place more emphasis on the family back yard than on the front lawn. A backyard patio, terrace or screened-in porch are other features of ranch homes that local homebuyers find attractive, real estate agents say.

Ranch houses are often built on lots that allow homeowners the option of expanding their homes, Maxwell adds.

"People are often tempted. I would rather not encourage that, but it is something people often think of doing," she says.

* Contact Carolyn Baker at cbaker@nvdaily.com