Any help is appreciated! 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. There are two truths to understand about Sears kit houses: 1) They are actually pretty rare, making up only about 2% of the homes constructed during their era, So, if you come upon a neighborhood full of wonderful bungalows, or full of Craftsman-style houses, or full of Dutch Colonials, dont jump to the conclusion that they are Sears houses (some people, weve noticed, confuse the name of the Sears tool line , with the architectural style by that name, and think that a Craftsman style house is what we mean when we say. Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chicago, Illinois. Apologies for the delay. Here are those we know of from Lewis Homes, Gordon-Van Tine, Wardway (Montgomery Ward), and Aladdin: . Share these engaging posts on Facebook & Instagram. It was a Sears, Roebuck and Co. kit home, the Martha Washington, advertised in. Well, as fun as a puzzle can be under deadline I guess. Any idea where I might find plans from before 1908? 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. Ohio and Illinois are still leading, though, with 2700+ and 2300+, respectively. The house was shipped by Gordon Van Tine Co. of Davenport IA, and delivered by railroad box car to the New Hamburg freight yard. Scroll down to the section with that title, to learn more about plans-only companies. 415 Kenwood, LaPorte, IN. 1920. Greater Portland Landmarks - Blog A handful of Sears homes have been identified in Canada. Yes Mary; The houses made it as far as Alaska and Canada, as the parts were delivered by railroad. Using the Sears numbering system, the contents of the railroad boxcars (typically Finding the Houses that Sears Built; A Guide to the 60 Most Popular You might want to try a copy of Rosemary Thornton's more-exhaustive book of photos of Sears Kit homes (cited and linked above in this article). (order #51300) by George and Gorgianna Hasbrook in honor of their golden wedding anniversary. Each of the links in this section shows a photo with additional details of the interior of a Sears Kit Home. The kit was dropped at a depot, not at a lot. In fact, the Chelsea (a 2,000-square-foot foursquare) came with 840 square yards of wooden lath. In the 1930s, during the Depression, the housing market took a sharp downturn, and by 1940, Sears stopped selling kit homes, as many people had lost their jobs and defaulted on their loans. 7 Tips for Building Your Sphere of Influence in Real Estate (+ Script), 31 Clever Real Estate Marketing Ideas for 2023, 33 Underrated Real Estate Lead Generation Ideas for 2023, Real Geeks Review: An In-depth Look at Features & Pricing, Want More Leads? A highly modified Sunbeam model Sears Modern (we think) this house also had a tasteful, adult hip renovation that looks like a Southern Home spread brought to life. One of the best known Sears house locations is in Carlinville, Illinois, where Standard Oil of Indiana built a million-dollar development of 192 Honor Bilt houses for employees of Schoper coal mine (156 intended for miners and other workers, an additional 28 nearby and somewhat more deluxe meant for supervisors). Kit homes used drywall, asphalt shingles, and "balloon" style. You absolutely can make real estate your side hustle. Long before Amazon Prime, shoppers across America turned to the Sears catalog to purchase all kinds of consumer goodsnot just products for the home, but also the homes themselves. While sold primarily to East Coast and Midwest states, Sears homes have been located as far south as Florida and as far west as California. @Roseanne R., it certainly could have, but also certainly not in all Sears Kit homes. Elgin's Sears Homes - by Rachel Freundt - Substack True Bungalow Effect. Six Sears Houses - New England Historical Society 2. Do look carefully for a stencil marks and do look at some of the hardware details that we give in the articles that I recommended to you. the dwindling "do it yourself" home market. We do not accept money, services, or products in exchange for positive reviews or product placement. had become more complex, detailed, and demanding, including stricter requirements for electrical wiring and plumbing, and Sears abandoned ], Sears began offering Goodwall sheet plaster as a replacement for the more labor-intensive wood lath plaster systems used in older homes. Stamps on millwork or labels from "Norwood Sash and Door" (maybe) indicate Sears suppliers. When people say. then left the rest to the construction company. @Karen Marsh, Above is the original catalog Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold about 100,000 kit houses from catalogs between 1908 and 1942. (kit cost) to larger homes costing $5000. It comes with a 10-year-old garage, garden house in the backyard, an unfinished basement, and a floored attic. Sears Whitehall. 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 In the early 20th century, Sears sold up to 75,000 mail-order homes (per NPR).In 1888, the Chicago-based company launched their first catalog.According to The Craftsman Blog, a variety of goods could be bought and delivered to the customer's front door.In 1908, however, the company decided to push the envelope; Sears was now going to sell and deliver houses via their Sears Modern Homes Catalog. thank you kindly. 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. An Abundance of Sears Homes in Raleigh, NC On 2021-09-09 Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response. Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chicago, Illinois. Rosemary Thornton's two books Year Built: 1902 Listing Agent: Wally Kerr Listing Brokerage: Kerr Team Real Estate, Admittedly, this next listing gave us a fun puzzle to solve while we were trying to figure out its provenance. 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. after 1940. The backyard is great for entertaining, and the Florida climate allows for the space to be . Price: $489,000 Livability in Lexington: Built in 1928 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this four-bedroom home has been meticulously maintained over the years. 1935. I wonder what else is in those archives! The Keystone name has come up before in searching for kit house history and plans, but searching is confounded by current companies using that name. 3 Sears 'Kit Homes' Known To Still Exist In - WJCT News and this 1941 ALADDIN KIT HOME CATALOG (see for example the Brentwood, Brewser, Bristol, and Norfolk model Aladdin homes) NTL Stacks TH4819.P7C22 1914, Wardway Homes, Montgomery Ward, Chicago, Illinois. Other details can include finding specific stamps, lumber marks, or hardware in your particular house that confirm it as a Sears kit home and also paging through the Sears kit home catalogs we list to match that roof design and entry porch. Galeries Lafayette - department store; France. The construction company ordered standard-length lumber through the lumber yards, measured, cut, and constructed the house. That year, the Aladdin Company of Bay City, Michigan, offered the first kit homes through mail order. GUIDE TO KIT HOUSES AND HOMES Homes Q&A: : Does Sears Holdings give permission to reproduce catalog pages or images from its catalogs, and or other . two boxcars were needed to ship all of the parts to build a complete home) were brought by wagon to this site in the village of Wappingers Falls, NY. 61 proven lead gen ideas from coaches & top-producing agents. We have a Sears Craftsman home that was built in 1910-1912 and would love to identify the style off home. The 1913 volume featured 112 designs for homes for which homeowners could purchase a kit that was delivered with all the materials needed to construct the home. at $500. New York ranks fourth on the list with 1,679. I realize that there were 7 or so kit house companies at the time. However the combination of catalog My neighbors grandfather helped build my home. They were hoping to meet the needs and desires of the same folks who were buying from the lumber companies. Sears Modern Homes were catalog and kit houses sold primarily through mail order by Sears, Roebuck and Co., an American retailer.. From 1908 to 1942, Sears sold more than 70,000 of these houses in North America, by the company's count. Fully renovated in 2011, the home won the Moore Country Home Builders Associations Excellence Award for the Best Historic Renovation. At least, we think this is a Wabash. We also fell in love with the stone facade, leafy front yard, and awesome built-ins inside. One of the most fascinating parts of the story, is that the framing lumber was (in most cases) pre-cut and labeled, allowing the homebuilder to follow an instruction booklet to help in the organized construction process. by Adrian McCullough, @Inspectapedia Com Moderator, Possibly built in 1923. Sears Manufactured Homes On 2022-03-07 We know that there are two purported Sears kit homes on Route 302 in Bridgton, a Sears house in Saco, and there are likely more kit homes that have not yet been surveyed and identified in subdivisions from the 20s, 30s, and 40s in our communities. As shown here in September, 2005 this charming house was listed for sale by its owners for $299,000. Enthusiasts call the Magnolia the "holy grail of kit houses." (Photo: Courtesy Andrew and Wendy Mutch) This past . Sears offered these houses from 1908-1940 and there were 370 different designs. In Detroit, The Ford Model T, the first car built using Henry Fords revolutionary assembly line, sputtered into life and changed the world. Number 37. 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. More than 30 readers responded, with stories about how much they loved their Sears homes. Sears promised that this sheet plaster was superior to lath and plaster for many reasons, including its fire resistant qualities. That "Bungalow" stencil or stamping appears to be on the wall or roof cavity side of wood sheathing - and may indeed indicate that the home was built from a kit. I should have known. As you've indicated, you already have some helpful information from your home. a company which sold it as a kit house in the early 1940's. Beginning in 1929, and not by coincidence, the volume of Sears Catalog houses sold dropped dramatically. Sears Modern Homes - Wikipedia Robinson's Kit Homes are often cited along with Sears and Wards, we're still looking for details - I'll post what I can find under Robinson's in the article above - give me an hour or so and don't forget to refresh your browser or clear your browser cache to see the updated page. In some inspections you will find a few rafters or beams which show, Framing marks on other kit house brands and their framing lumber are discussed below at, Labels may be present on the back of millwork (baseboard, window, door trim, staircase) as Sears used a common supplier, "Sears, Roebuck and Company," or "925 Homan Ave. Chicago" may be present on shipping labels. 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. 13354A, 13354B); ($886 to $1,097) shown below. In addition to trying the Sears Kit Home catalogs and identification resources we give here, you're welcome to post photos (one per comment - as many comments and thus photos as you need) of your home and to give what background you can about it (location, history etc) to see if other interested readers can offer suggestions. Sears kit homes were popular in the earlier part of the 20th century. And which kit? We know of authenticated Sears houses that were built miles and miles from the location of the depot, and we know that the family hauled the kit supplies to their lot, nonetheless. That last house in Boulder, Colorado is a perfect example of the 1920s version of the Sears Oakdale, not the Clyde. when i moved to MD and bought a house, my boss at the time gave me a going away/housewarming gift that consisted of a very fancy and comprehensive hammacher schlemmer tool kit, and a $100 GC to home depot. Why not sell houses in kit form through his already ubiquitous Sears & Roebuck catalog? 12 Shocking Real Estate Facts: FREE Social Media Posts [Download]. For the first time, Sears has opened the doors to its vast archival collection and invited the public to peek inside. Another uber charming craftsmen with a tasteful renovation and original details, 1315 9th Street had us lingering on our open Zillow tabs for a few more minutes than a team under deadline should. The most complete answer to your question and advice on identifying kit hoes is found at KIT HOMES, Aladdin, Sears, Wards, Others. 7 Charming Sears Catalog Homes You Can Buy Today I appreciate the additional detail on lath that I had forgotten. Thank you for the resources. Even better, unlike the other homes weve seen so far, 1670 Whitcomb seems largely untouched from its original design. Would like to build one. To fully appreciate the impact of the Sears kit homes, it's important to understand the reach of the company's famous catalog. with a few candidates with an expert like Thornton might see immediately as probable or improbable Sears Catalog Houses. If you look at an old Sears catalog, youll find that while kit houses did not include plaster (due to shipping weight), your 12,000-piece kit house did come with good quality lath. Asking: $475,000 Sears Modern Homes Model: Vallonia (?) What seems likely here is that the original structure might have been modified after 1908 with heavily modified plans from a Sears Modern. How to Identify a Sears Kit Home: 9 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow @Dee, NTL Stacks: TH4840.S43 1935, Modern Homes. Sears Homes Enthusiasts Edith, 74, told the newspaper: Sears kit houses were built from 1908-1942 (see this blog post for substantiation of the 1942 date, and this follow up article), and the models offered by Sears followed the design trends of those decades. Because kit homes made wide use of already-popular house styles you cannot be sure of a kit status from the photo alone. Customers were given everything needed for basic assemblyincluding the nailsdelivered by rail, and most folks with adequate carpentry expertise could put up their new house in just a few days. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website. @inspectapedia.com.moderator, Notes: this product was sold by Sears beginning in 1916. Sears homes can be found across the continental United States. 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. 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. Aladdin kit home photos wanted, CONTACT us. Specially prepared plaster was also sold in bags of the hard plaster and top coat hard plaster to be applied over this Sears plasterboard. New York state is 4th, with 1,679 houses found. Some of those houses are still around, and the custom houses shown in the photos from the Sears archives we have located. by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. The Sears Mail-Order Home Lives On in Chicago's Suburbs In . on what time and labor the buyer had available to build their house. I work with a group that maintains the national database of Sears Modern Homes. This home was built from a Sears & Roebuck kit delivered by rail & moved from the train depot to its current location in 1914. Located in Cairo Illinois, the largest of these mills covered nearly 40 acres, and the sheer variety of homes it shipped out was staggering. And give us the country and city of location of the home. I would love some insight! Located on a tree-lined street in a lovely, mature neighborhood, the property has had the same owner for 25 years. Used within a coal room door handle. Sears estimated that the average carpenter would charge $450 to . 1. Bill and Diana Zoeller's dog Bear stands on the original flooring inside their Craftsman home. Your email address will not be published. Excerpting from this new website: I can't figure out what model this home is. NTL Stacks: NA8480.N61, Aladdin Homes. However, we do work with a select group of software companies and service providers that we feel provide real value for our readers. A Sears Castleton model with 4 bedrooms, 1 bath, living room, dining room, kitchen and tiny den just past the vestibule entry. 1924 Bowers Beach, Delaware. Zillow says it was built in 1939 and the original square footage was 1,362 (before additions were made). 35 Point St., New Hamburg, NY, a 936 sq.ft. by Adrian McCullough. 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. When most people think of Sears catalog homes, they imagine Cape Cods or Craftsman style bungalows with columned porches. I'll be interested if you find any indication of just how widely plaster-lath construction was used in kit homes; our rock-lath article cited above gives some history, though not specific to kit homes; we need authoritative sources on the extent to which rock-lath or sheet-plaster systems were in wide use in North America before the 1940s. Sears is estimated to have sold about 70,000 of their home building kits from 1908-1940 and it's currently estimated that about 70% of the original Sears homes built from kits are still standing today. Would love to find them. The renovation expanded the homes footprint to four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and more than 2,000 square feet. OKI Wanna Know: Where are the local Sears kit homes? You will see that a stencil marking on lumber or sheathing or even specific bits of hardware can identify the home even if its general layout and plan are similar to those produced by more than one manufacturer. The label includes the name of the recipient of the Sears kit house, the . Sears Kit Homes: How bungalows in a box changed housing - Curbed North American Construction Company, Bay City, Michigan. The materials were reportedly shipped in via railroad as a package. 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. We did not photograph the kitchen and bath as they had been remodeled leaving no obvious original materials. More than 100 years of history now available online.Sears has a rich, long history to tell dating back to 1886 when Richard Sears sold the first batch of watches. Most of the interior has been untouched other than the kitchen, which was remodeled by the previous owner (son of the builder) - the woodwork and detail is truly beautiful! Sears Goodwall was touted as more fire-resistant than alternative plant-based fiberboard sheathing products. You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. The thickness dimensions do not include field-applied top coat layers of finished plaster. Sears Houses: This article series provides detailed photographic and historic clues to assist in The Aladdin Company, Bay City, Michigan. Designs for 370 different plans ranged from the elaborate to the simple; the 'Goldenrod', for example, was a three-room vacation cottage (no bath, out-house separate). Benefiting from Hunter's work as well as our own search we list a number of kit or catalog home manufacturers here. Learn all about these mail-ordered, catalog homes as we explore their unique history i. Fiberboard could be used as a plaster base or painted, or simply left in its tan-brown color. We recommend all three of these publications. Each house has a link that you can click on, that takes you to a resource to see the house (blog post, real estate listing, or Google map). A nationally recognized founder, branding expert, and industry thought leader, Emile cut his teeth in real estate in 2007 crafting marketing strategies for the Chrysler and MetLife Buildings. Thanks - anonymous by private email 2021/11/06, another photo of this house was posted on this page. NTL Stacks: NA8480.N61, Aladdin Homes. I believe we own one of the original sears homes. Aladdin Homes. Sears prefab homes still standing in region, across the country For some of these items, there were options (type of wiring, heating, plumbing fixtures, for example, or upgrades for flooring and trim wood), and any masonry items were purchased through Sears, but obtained through a local supplier, rather than being shipped by Sears. North Avenue, in Pleasant Valley, NY, a "gothic cottage" Crescent model built in 1932 for $1761. The first mail order for a Sears house was filled that year. We may have a kit house, pic from the 30's, abandoned for 35 years, have more pics if needed What do you think so far? Please take a look there as that's more thorough than if I'm asked to make up that advice de-novo here. Sears and all of the kit home manufacturers replicated popular house designs built before, during and after the kits themselves were available. As the need for suburban housing grew, construction of neighborhoods of modest homes was needed. Between 1908 and 1940, Sears provided house kits. Details on the first floor indicate original to 1925 as the deed says. 8/9. The Aladdin Company, Bay City, Michigan. 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. Please call or text 815-603-7338. Any ideas about the model of this home? Number 26. 61 proven lead gen ideas from coaches & top-producing agents to help you close more deals.