To entertain your friends around the bridge table or between pickleball sets, let’s explore some trivia and history surrounding condominiums. To set the stage, we should first consider where the name “condominium” (or “condominia” in the Latin plural) originated.
The English word “condominium” was first used in 1718. This form of property ownership, where an individual owns their unit but shares ownership of common areas like stairwells, floors, and exterior elements, inspired the term. It combines the prefix “con” (meaning “together with”) and the Latin “dominium” (meaning ownership). While the term is specific to U.S. and Canadian properties, other parts of the world use different names for this type of ownership.
Common Interest Ownership History
The concept of shared residential property ownership can be traced back to a document from first-century Babylon. In ancient Rome, multi-unit housing structures allowed for individual unit ownership, but the modern condominium form became codified in Europe during the late Middle Ages.
Spanish law first recognized the concept of shared residential ownership, though it had little impact on real estate markets. It wasn’t until 1924 in Belgium that condominium law was codified and gained traction. Interestingly, England never adopted a condominium law, though Scotland did.
Condominiums in North America
In North America, the concept of individual unit ownership in a building first appeared in the conversion of a New York City hotel at 152 W. 57th Street into an eight-unit “co-operative” (co-ops are a cousin of the condo). However, there was no customary or codified law for condominiums until 1958, when the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico enacted such legislation. Hawai’i followed soon after as the first U.S. state to pass a condominium statute.
The first recognized condominium development in the U.S. was Graystone Manor in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1960. This 120-unit community included a converted mansion and five new buildings. Its marketing slogan? “No More Yardwork.”
This development set off a nationwide wave. The passage of the Housing Act of 1961 allowed the Federal Housing Administration to provide bank mortgages for condominium purchases, sparking rapid growth. By 1969, every U.S. state had its own condominium statute.
Fun Facts and Firsts
- Graystone Manor’s Origin Story: The idea to “condo-ize” Graystone Manor came from a young real estate lawyer, Keith Romney (a cousin of Mitt Romney). Romney’s innovative proposal was adopted into Utah law and quickly became a model for condominium legislation nationwide. By the end of 1964, over 7,000 condominium units had been built in the U.S. By 1970, that number skyrocketed to 700,000.
- Maine Milestones: The Hastings-Lyman community in York, Maine, claims to be the state’s first condominium. Portland’s Promenade Towers Condominium, built in 1975, is recognized as Maine’s first high-rise condo at 14 stories.
Condominiums have come a long way from their roots in ancient Babylon to their explosion across North America. The next time you hear the word “condominium,” you’ll know its rich history—and maybe win some trivia points!
By Jack Carr, P.E., LEED-AP
written for Condo Media Magazine, November 2024