So it's probably true that most of these Between 1908 and 1940, Sears sold about 70,000 kit homes in 48 states through their mail-order Modern Homes program, with 370 designs that you might not readily recognize as a kit. 13354A, 13354B); ($886 to $1,097) shown below. 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). Thornton also cites an "R" either in the cast-iron base of some sinks (kitchen?) https://inspectapedia.com/Design/Aladdin-Kit-Homes-Catalog-1941.pdf. The kit was dropped at a depot, not at a lot. This article (order #51300) by George and Gorgianna Hasbrook in honor of their golden wedding anniversary. Historic house: Built in 1911, this Sears home sits on a large, corner lot in a historic district, surrounded by antebellum homes. 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! Unless you have developed a really good eye for recognizing the several-hundred models offered by Sears, for example, youd never know what house on a block with a kit house mixed in with other 1920s or 30s houses, was from a kit from Sears. Sears Houses: This article series provides detailed photographic and historic clues to assist in She says from 1908 to 1942, Sears sold more than 70,000 kits nationwide, and more than 3,000 in the Cincinnati area. It would be worthwhile to gain visual access to the next rafter or stud bay to the left of that shown in your photo where you may see a kit number or manufacturer's name. So far we haven't found Sears identifying marks, but will be renovating the basement soon and will be able to look more closely. Wondering what model this Sears Craftsman is. 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. Americans anywhere could flip through the four-pound, 1,400-page . 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. You're welcome to post your photos - one per comment - on that page or on any of the recommended article pages you'll find at the end of that page. More than 30 readers responded, with stories about how much they loved their Sears homes. A Sears catalog home fan website, searshomes.org discusses the plaster systems used in older homes, including Sears kit homes. @Rossman6798, Rosemary Thornton, whose work is referenced in this document, is a leading expert on Sears catalog homes. These customizable homes could be manufactured for anyone, anywhere. she offers a Sears house identification service. This is a great resource for people in the St. Louis area. 1. Realtors love to include Sears in their listing of old houses but many of those are incorrectly identified including the others that are on your list. GUIDE TO KIT HOUSES AND HOMES
Sears House Seeker: 800+ Sears Houses In Pennsylvania! That includes both 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 hipped gable roof design and entry porch. These easy-to-assemble, mail-order homes were shipped across the United States and Canada, according to the Sears archives. Cairo had access to five railroad lines, and the Illinois Central line abutted the Sears plant.
Sears Catalog 'Kit Homes' From the Early 20th Century - themindcircle Some of the earliest kit houses had few markings or stencils but you still may be able to recognize common Hardware. 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. @Adrian McCullough, Indoors, large windows welcome in natural light. As you've indicated, you already have some helpful information from your home. NTL Stacks: NA8480.N6, Aladdin Houses. My neighbors grandfather helped build my home. 1 story, 2 br, chimney In middle. BOOKS ON SEARS AND OTHER KIT OR CATALOG HOUSES. At least, we think this is a Wabash.
Finding the Houses that Sears Built; A Guide to the 60 Most Popular 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 homes were sold through the Sears Roebuck catalog from 1908 to 1940. For this weeks listing of the week, we decided to find seven charming Sears Catalog homes you can actually buy today. detail which is still in place on a Sears house was unique to those homes and can help in their identification today, even though Are there old catalogs we can view to know whether this is a Sears Kit home? In addition to the four-bedroom home, the purchase price includes a workshop, a covered, outdoor entertaining area, an 1894 restored barn with attached two-car garage, a clubhouse, and a horse barn.
Sears kit homes weathered decades, now quite valuable - SFGATE The Story on Sears Houses - Old House Journal Magazine 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. . Lake Worth, Florida. 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. WHEN AND WHERE WERE SEARS CATALOG HOUSES BUILT? If My House Is Not A Kit, Then Where Did It Come From??
Sears mail-order homes prove plentiful in Western Pennsylvania The construction company ordered standard-length lumber through the lumber yards, measured, cut, and constructed the house. 1. Rosemary Thornton Number 32.
I believe we own one of the original sears homes. we own a sears home..We are interested in saleing..it and land surrounding it its in the beautiful mountains of eastern Tennessee. On 2021-05-13 One of the surviving Sears kit homes stands along Oak Springs Road in Chartiers Township. Thanks for your interest! by Sears & Roebuck in 1908, and eventually Sears offered 370 different models of residential homes, ranging from small bungalows Details on the first floor indicate original to 1925 as the deed says. Our home in Orofino, idaho was built about 1913. Thank you so much. After 1940: However some homes could have been purchased around 1939 or 1940 but not completed until several years later, depending 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. The list, below, gives you model names and addresses of 80 houses that we have located in the St. Louis area. Examples have also been found in Alaska. Do you know the city and state? Any ideas? @inspectapedia.com.moderator, Above is the original catalog description of this home at 15 N. Remsen, Wappingers Falls, NY Three neighbors - three Sears catalog homes were built in a row by Wappingers grocer Adolph Von Vorstel on N. Remsen Ave. in Wappingers Falls. Located in the desirable Converse Heights neighborhood, the home greets visitors with a large front porch. Specially prepared plaster was also sold in bags of the hard plaster and top coat hard plaster to be applied over this Sears plasterboard. Thank you. The Ohio bungalow as it looks today. Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland I have researched over th years trying to find the original plan or any information on the floor plan. 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. It's a duplex with a floorplan similar to model number 154 (1908-1914 cataloge). Stamps on millwork or labels from "Norwood Sash and Door" (maybe) indicate Sears suppliers. 1917. While the retailer is clinging to life amid a changing consumer landscape, many of the kit homes it designed and sold will stand long after the last Sears store closes. Number 26. Any idea where I might find plans from before 1908? We have encountered such a home in northern Dutchess County in New York State, one which looks just like a Sears model but No matter where the depot was, to which the kit was delivered, homeowners found a way to haul the materials to their lot. Great finda Sears "Magnolia" in Canton, Ohio, and its catalog listing. Also see this Sears Milford Kit home from the same 1933-1940 period: (Model No. On 2022-01-17
The Sears Homes of St. Louis (Kirkwood) | Sears Modern Homes Sears Homes Enthusiasts Thornton is also The rest are not Sears houses although that house identified as a Glen Falls is close but not a match. Oddly, there is no sales blurb included in the Sears Modern Homes catalog for this one. Stamps or marks will tell you which supplier supplied Sears with the millwork, Norwood Sash and Door of Ohio. which lacks the Sears identifying stencils on framing and other key details. Some early experiments by Sears included selling a kit to build Added to our resources on Sears Kit homes is a now-available archive from Sears itself: http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/byimage.htm 613.3K .
Think you know Sears catalog 'kit' houses? You haven't seen Alabama's Sears Homes 1908-1914 On 2021-09-09 @Judy Gehrlich, There we list the manufacturers of kit or catalog homes sold in the United States and provide links to additional references, kit home identification, kit or catalog home restoration and repairs, and kit home architectural and hardware details, markings, and stencils. 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. I'm trying to find the plans for a Sears house that we're buying, but it was built in 1906. @George, I appreciate the additional detail on lath that I had forgotten. Price: $374,900 Burlington beauty:According to the listing, this catalog home is the Vallonig model. Though we don't search for them as diligently as we do Sears Modern Homes kit houses, we have found some kits from other kit-house companies of the same era, in the St. Louis area. They are classic. Price: $179,900 Historic house:Built in 1911, this Sears home sits on a large, corner lot in a historic district, surrounded by antebellum homes. Because kit homes made wide use of already-popular house styles you cannot be sure of a kit status from the photo alone.