I hope Sears has the common sense to donate those materials rather than throw them away.Thanks for this! There are part number stenciled on the boards. Let us know in the comments! But nestled in a golf course in Anderson, Indiana, we found this gorgeous and stately Sears catalog home that wouldnt look out of place in Greenwich, Connecticut or Westchester. Sears heavily promoted these large sales in their advertising materials. 1924 Bowers Beach, Delaware. I know New Hamburg well, having spent a lifetime nearby in Poughkeepsie. I am about to sell and would love any help in finding out more to pass on to the next buyer. Hello! A Sears Castleton model with 4 bedrooms, 1 bath, living room, dining room, kitchen and tiny den just past the vestibule entry. While I have expanded, edited, and illustrated this list based on our own field experience, and we have added photographs and other details, this material has its origin in Thornton's books At these sales centers,sales agents helped home buyers design just the home they wanted. Located in Cairo Illinois, the largest of these mills covered nearly 40 acres, and the sheer variety of homes it shipped out was staggering. They are always welcome. The National Trust Library offers catalogs of Aladdin kit houses. 2 Additions later and its still standing. NTL Stacks TH4819.P7C22 1914, Wardway Homes, Montgomery Ward, Chicago, Illinois. On 2022-03-06 By 1940 home designs, specifications (and building codes) Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chicago, Illinois. Any help is appreciated! Most real estate company names are boring at best. As shown here in September, 2005 this charming house was listed for sale by its owners for $299,000. 1925. In short, it's a house whose blueprints and building supplies were ordered from a specialty Sears catalog, and all of these supplies were shipped, by rail (primarily), to the homeowner (who either chose to build the house himself, or use a contractor to arrange the construction). On 2022-02-01 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. Sears reported that more than 70,000 of these homes were sold in North America between 1908 and 1940. Outdoors, a large deck in the backyard offers an ideal spot for warm-weather entertaining. in the Kit House Identification article above we cite Thornton's books describing Sears kit homes, but you may want to step through the definitive list of key Sears Kit Home identification points given in the article above right here; Aladdin Homes. Continue reading at KIT HOMES, ALADDIN, SEARS, WARDS, OTHERS or select a topic from closely-related articles below, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. So it's probably true that most of these Over in Sears & Roebucks home state of Illinois, we found this gorgeous Crescent model Sears catalog home up for sale at a tantalizing price. The problem starts out front, where the place is just oozing Sears Modern Homes, but the sheer size of the place and unorthodox design left us a bit puzzled as to what exactly we were looking at. Sears "Lynnhaven" in York County, Virginia 2 /22 This exceptionally well-preserved Lynnhaven in York County, Virginia, retains that model's interior layout, which includes a kitchen, breakfast. 2. For most of its years in operation, the Sears Modern Homes department served its customers from three locations: In Cairo, Illinois, Sears had a 40-acre lumber and millwork plant. Price: $200,000 Happy home: This 880-square-foot, ranch-style home has two bedrooms. A consummate salesman, Ford even joked that the Model T was available in any color his customers wanted, as long as it was black. The book details the 60 most popular designs (of the 375 designs Sears produced) with original catalog drawings and contemporary pictures. Galeries Lafayette - department store; France. These type of details in addition to what we've noted in our earlier response may help with identification. For more information on who we are, and what we do, visit our website: This question was recently posed in a FaceBook group that focuses on St. Louis history. Many original featuresincluding built-in cabinets and hardwood floorshave been maintained and add heaps of character to the four-bedroom home. All Locations for Home Improvement & Repair National team, Local service We serve all major metropolitan areas and more, with over 6,800 technicians in the field every day. What year and style home? at $500. It has always been used as a seasonal summer cottage and is uninsulated. @Adrian McCullough, A handful of Sears homes have been identified in Canada. Here are two examples of plans-only books, available through lumber yards and construction companies: Nonetheless, We're Always Looking For More Sears Modern Homes Kit Houses! Corona is derived from the Latin word for crown. @Karen Marsh, All of the house designs of the era of kit homes, were of similar styles Sears, and the other kit companies, were not offering anything unique. . If My House Is Not A Kit, Where Did It Come From? No matter where the depot was, to which the kit was delivered, homeowners found a way to haul the materials to their lot. After which it was relocated to Aurora, IL. So look instead for those key ID points, hardware, stencil marks, etc. Ssrah. More than 70,000 Sears Modern Homes were sold between 1908 and 1940. 61 proven lead gen ideas from coaches & top-producing agents to help you close more deals. Please use the add image button to post a photo or two of the home - one per comment. Thank you. ], Sears began offering Goodwall sheet plaster as a replacement for the more labor-intensive wood lath plaster systems used in older homes. Thornton is also Sears Modern Homes 1930 pg14, Elmhurst.jpg download. Or see SEARS KIT HOME IDENTIFICATION FAQs - questions and answers about Sears Kit Houses posted originally on this page. 1918. [Click to enlarge any image]. now, this woman was the head of facilities for the company and knew her stuff, but looking at the . Whether their customers needed a simple cottage without a bathroom (an outhouse could be purchased separately), or wanted to submit their own multistory blueprints to Sears, there was a Modern Home for every location and budget. 1915. Thornton rattles off some statistics about Sears Catalog homes and a complete school or office building. You might try some of those to see if they have an older historical connection to Keystone kit homes, though we emphasize that these are a bit of a long-shot. Number 44. North American Construction Company, Bay City, Michigan. Excerpting from this new website: We settled on Vallonia, because of the awning, but the porch and columns are all wrong. by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. Keep it classy, please. Asking: $375,000 Sears Modern Homes Model: The Crescent Year Built: 1929 Listing Agent: Steve Heilig Listing Brokerage: Baird & Warner. I realize that there were 7 or so kit house companies at the time. Please call or text 815-603-7338. List of kit home catalogs available at National Trust Library: Log Cabins. Get actionable real estate strategy in your inbox. i found this stamped on the inside of sheathing n a basement of a home I suspect is a kit house. Scroll down to the section with that title, to learn more about plans-only companies. Montgomery Ward sold Van Tine homes under their own name. Sometimes, people will say. Im looking for information pertaining to Robinsons Kits. WHEN AND WHERE WERE SEARS CATALOG HOUSES BUILT? tips and photos with this article. The best starting place is to read through the article above on this page. The house was financed through Sears which along with interior details helped authenticate that its from Sears. 8/9. I did find some blue grease pencil numbers but they are hard to make out. and of course Thanks!! When most people think of Sears catalog homes, they imagine Cape Cods or Craftsman style bungalows with columned porches. by danjoefriedman (mod). In Alabama, dozens of historic homes are rumored to be kit houses but only a small percentage have been certified as . Price: $374,900 Burlington beauty:According to the listing, this catalog home is the Vallonig model. cit. Thank You, Marsha Blankenship, Your email address will not be published. Number 26. 1915. Details on the first floor indicate original to 1925 as the deed says. We did not examine the mechanicals closely in this house, as they were not provided by Sears and Roebuck and were obtained locally. I'm doubtful we can confirm the Sears kit origin from a photo alone; as you note there were Sears kits for popular home designs built stick by stick as well as copycat kits; You'd want to find stamps on lumber, hardware details or other details given above on this page. I have been pouring over house plans and scouring the internet looking at catalogues and am coming up short. The fact that there was a railroad in the town, or running behind a house, does not really make it any more likely to have Sears houses in the town. Built in 1930, and the grandson of the original owner/builder told us it was a Sears house. This house, #15 N. Remsen, in Wappingers Falls, NY, arrived by train. On 2022-01-23 homes were sold and built before that year, but it is certainly the case that the sale of some models continued to 1940. We did not photograph the kitchen and bath as they had been remodeled leaving no obvious original materials. We believe it might be a Sears Elsemore model, as it has the exact same floor plan, including the "reception room" in the front entrance, which was apparently unique to that model. @Sara, we'll look through our references to see what we can add to the Sears kit home notes above for those earlier models and will follow up here. Zillow says it was built in 1939 and the original square footage was 1,362 (before additions were made). The clues you already have seem to indicate that it may very well be the Elsmore model - age, interior and exterior designs, and 'provenance' confirmation from previous owner. also see our Aladdin kit homes and catalogs found at A couple of years ago I became more interested in catalog and kit houses as Chicagoland is full of them, many coming from local companies like Sears, Montgomery Ward, and the Harris Brothers. Thank you so much! GUIDE TO KIT HOUSES AND HOMES Harris Brothers Company, Chicago, Illinois. Some early experiments by Sears included selling a kit to build We pinpointed nine models from across the country that still stand tall as a testament to American ingenuity. Sears estimated that the average carpenter would charge $450 to . GUIDE TO KIT HOUSES AND HOMES That's because, unfortunately, just finding a house in a catalog that looks like your home does not mean yours is a Sears kit. Beds/Baths: 2 bedrooms and 1 full bath. The elegant archways and what looks like the coziest home office south of the Mason Dixon gave us an excuse to linger and wonder if running the site from Lexington, Kentucky would make sense, Asking: $1,150,000 Sears Modern Homes Model: Oakdale Year Built: 1923 Listing Agent: John McElveen Listing Brokerage: RE/MAX of Boulder. In the 19-teens, 1920s, and 1930s, American suburban neighborhoods were growing. MASONRY BLOCKS WITH A DECORATED EXTERIOR FACE, CENTER BLOCK UNDER FRONT PORCH ROOF (Vallonia), HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY FOR THE TOWN OF WILTON, CONNECTICUT, SEARS KENMORE WATER HEATER AGE & MANUALS, SEARS ROEBUCK VINYL ASBESTOS FLOOR TILE RECOGNITION, ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING DAMAGE, DISASTER, REPAIRS, Amazon Books on Sears and other Kit or Catalog Houses, Gentle Beam Publications - http://www.gentlebeampublications.com/, HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURSES (Canada), HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION: HOME STUDY COURSES, Although its outside appearance that closely resembles the home show in this, A Sears Catalog home built decades ago may by now have been covered with, These homes may also have been expanded at the side and/or, Some interior details remain and are easy to find, including a wide, This particular Sears catalog house in New York also had an interesting, Insulation in Sears houses: Mineral wool also called, In some of these photos of framing lumber stamps you may also recognize, Stamps or stenciled markings on ends of floor joists, Manchester Road in Poughkeepsie, NY (Dietz, late 1920s) which includes markings 'Order Chgo Milwk Sup', and 'hall closet' on a hall closet door frame. 1920. Between 1908 and 1940, Sears provided house kits. Not every house in a community of 1920s-era houses, is a Sears house, for example far, far from it, in fact, as only about 2% of houses built in the kit era, were built with kits from Sears. Any ideas about the model of this home? Price: $569,000 Bungalow beauty: This beauty of a bungalow is tucked in the historic Westside neighborhood and has a newly remodeled kitchen and other modern upgrades. It's also helpful that you clarified what a not-a-Sears-house could be. Aladdin kit home photos wanted, CONTACT us. The oiled wood mouldings and built-ins look like they were designed yesterday and probably look even nicer in person. However, we do work with a select group of software companies and service providers that we feel provide real value for our readers. The best place to start would be see 562.0K . Stamps on millwork or labels from "Norwood Sash and Door" (maybe) indicate Sears suppliers. Apologies for the delay. . the identification of Sears Catalog or Kit homes and including references to other expert books and resources on cited at "References" below. However the owners and listing realtor had been unable to identify the Sears catalog model. In Detroit, The Ford Model T, the first car built using Henry Fords revolutionary assembly line, sputtered into life and changed the world. The homes are located in Ortega, Murray Hill, and Fairfax Manor neighborhoods, and Jacksonville Historical Society historian-at-large Wayne Wood said Wednesday they represent an important part of American history. In 1908, Sears issued its first specialty catalog for houses, Book of Modern Homes and Building Plans, featuring 44 house styles ranging in price from US $360-$2,890. A Sears catalog home fan website, searshomes.org discusses the plaster systems used in older homes, including Sears kit homes. Your comment will appear after it has been previewed and approved by the blog author. 13354A, 13354B); ($886 to $1,097) shown below. Some people like to mention the huge collection of Sears Modern Homes in Carlinville, Illinois, when they speak of Sears Houses in the St. Louis area, but, given that Carlinville is a 90-minute drive from St. Louis County, in a different state, I don't include them in my list. Luckily, the owners also kept lots and lots of original goodies intact that are highly sought after (and highly expensive to build) by design conscious folks across the country. Attractive top floor apartment in the best location This dreamlike top floor apartment is on the fourth floor of a house built in 1890. 1. Homes has been a family owned & operated home center. @Gail Minthorn, Would love to find them. Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response. Included in the overall purchase, were all elements needed for the house, from lumber to roofing; wiring and plumbing; windows and door knobs, and hinges and nails and screws; staircases and all of their parts, pre-mitered; flooring, bath tubs and sinks and faucets; kitchen cabinets and ironing boards; window screens, window shades, and light fixtures. I would love to get more information about the Sears Roebuck Home I have recently purchased in Fresno, CA. NTL Stacks: TH4840.S43 1935, Modern Homes. NTL Stacks TH4819.P7M66 1924, Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the. I discovered that the Sears Modern Homes program sold 447 ready-to-build, customizable house varieties via catalog to buyers between the years of 1908 and 1940. NTL FOLIO TH4819.P7S42 1936, One House or a Hundred. by Sears & Roebuck in 1908, and eventually Sears offered 370 different models of residential homes, ranging from small bungalows However other companies may have both purchased remaining Sears kit house stock or copied Sears designs and continued to sell kit homes NTL Stacks: NA8480.N61, Aladdin Homes. Any idea where I might find plans from before 1908? 920 North Madison Avenue, Anderson, Indiana Asking: $379,900 I would love an opinion. I'm omitting the famous Wilton gingerbread house and Wilton gingerbread house kits sold by Sears as that's a food product not an actual house. Because the homes were so easy to tailor to their owners tastes, true Sears Modern Homes can be tricky to identify today. Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chicago, Illinois. Edith, 74, told the newspaper: , that's just not really part of the equation. North American Construction Company, Bay City, Michigan. Let our vast experience and top picks guide your decision. This photo is of an Aladdin kit home constructed in Tivoli, New York. Sears Archives Home Page Please do take a look. Sears Homes. As I live in this part of St. Louis, I have been inside some of these houses, have spoken to owners of some of these houses, and have been able to notice details, from the exterior, that show elements on the house that are from other companies. We have affiliate partnerships with these companies and make money when we feature their products on the site. The Sears Modern Homes catalog from 1930. There . NTL Stacks: NA8480.N6, Aladdin Houses. For example, Sears sold only, Rose and I have communicated recently about these houses, and she very graciously agreed to update her blog post to reflect that we now know that these are not actually Sears houses, as she is a strong believer in the importance of the accuracy of historic records (. On 2022-01-17 For the first time, Sears has opened the doors to its vast archival collection and invited the public to peek inside. Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. I havent found any other obvious stamps. 870,000. Well, as fun as a puzzle can be under deadline I guess. @Amy, Bill and Diana Zoeller's dog Bear stands on the original flooring inside their Craftsman home. Period. (Plumbing and electrical systems, however, did not come with the kits.). You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. 1917. Ready Built House Company, Portland, Oregon. 35 Point St., New Hamburg, NY, a 936 sq.ft. was so identified and its history written in a Poughkeepsie Journal article in 1990. Kit and Plan Homes by Bungalow Man. Measuring in at a roomy 3,500 square feet, the four-bedroom. A Sears house is: every Craftsman, bungalow, or Dutch Colonial style house you come across (though Sears did offer many Craftsman, bungalow, English cottage, Dutch Colonial, and Colonial style houses as did every other house company), a house built after 1942 (or before 1908), the only brand of kit house that existed (other companies include Gordon-Van Tine, Aladdin Homes, Bennett Homes, Wardway homes, and others), The answer to this question can be found on. I would love some insight! NTL Stacks TH4819.P7R42 1915, Robinson's Money-Saving Mill-Made Cut-To-Fit Houses. Included in the overall purchase, were all elements needed for the house, from lumber to roofing; wiring and plumbing; windows and door knobs, and hinges and nails and screws; staircases and all of their parts, pre-mitered; flooring, bath tubs and sinks and faucets; kitchen cabinets and ironing boards; window screens, window shades, and light fixtures. a company which sold it as a kit house in the early 1940's. And, boy, did that post get some answers 743 comments, last I saw (of course, probably 50 or more of those, are my comments, trying to clarify and correct some of the answers that were, So, I thought maybe it's time to do a definitive blog post about where, in fact, the, Sears Modern Homes kits were sold from 1908 through about 1942, There were other major kit-house companies, (only a "possible"very likely NOT Sears, but a "lookalike"--possibly an Aladdin), The Back Story Of Kit Houses vs Non-Kit Houses. The construction company ordered standard-length lumber through the lumber yards, measured, cut, and constructed the house.