Lantern Lane's six colonial houses grouped around a communal green were considered a model for contemporary suburban planning. In the October 1932 issue of House Beautiful, the siting of the houses was praised as an example of how small properties could be enhanced by their relationship to a shared space. Edward Sears Read designed the first four Lantern Lane houses in 1930, just after the onset of the Great Depression, when American architects turned their attention to issues relating to the small house. A year later, House Beautiful designed one of the last two houses to be built, 3 Lantern Lane, and offered the plans to its readers. From the beginning, all of the houses were painted white, adding to the harmony of the development.