The first complete Sears Kit homes, that is, residences, were marketed NTL FOLIO TH4819.P7S42 1936, One House or a Hundred. 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. contain additional specific details which you will find instrumental in identifying Sears Catalog Homes. @Amy, Geoffrey's Toy Box - toys, video games, videos (Revival of Toys R Us) Harvey Norman - furniture, housewares, electronics; Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Ireland, United Kingdom (Northern Ireland), Slovenia and Croatia. Excerpting from this new website: @inspectapedia.com.moderator, Rosemary Thornton's two books 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 milestones, introductions and stories fill volumes. Take a look at the kit house identification clues discussed above on this page and in this article series. Post a photo of what you find. I work with a group that maintains the national database of Sears Modern Homes. Framing is square-cut douglas-fir(Doug Fir) or southern yellow pine (SYP) (usually) free of knots and splits. More than 70,000 Sears Modern Homes were sold between 1908 and 1940. NTL Stacks TH4819.P7R42 1915, Robinson's Money-Saving Mill-Made Cut-To-Fit Houses. @Cathy, St. Louis is home to a small neighborhood of pre-fab kit homes made by the Gunnison homes company, in 1949. So before you open up yet another Superior Realty, check out these examples, branding tips and our very own name generator. It also has a daydream-worthy covered porch with three exposures; a perfect spot for a late summer dinner. Sears Modern Homes 1930 pg14, Elmhurst.jpg download. also see our Aladdin kit homes and catalogs found at NTL Stacks: NA8480.N6, Thanks to Ralph & Elizabeth Arlyck for information regarding Aladdin Kit homes - June 2010, Aladdin House Catalog, in reprint form, is available from Amazon.com, Aladdin Houses are cataloged by the Arts & Crafts Society at http://64.66.180.31/archive/aladdin.shtml, More information including a description of the Aladdin model. I would love some insight! Or see SEARS KIT HOME IDENTIFICATION FAQs - questions and answers about Sears Kit Houses posted originally on this page. We have encountered such a home in northern Dutchess County in New York State, one which looks just like a Sears model but Sold under the Sears Modern Homes brand, the kits soon became a huge hit; selling thousands of homes all across the country in the company's 33-year history. Nor do I include the collection of homes in Wood River, Illinois (both towns had neighborhoods of Sears Modern Homes kits built by the Standard Oil Company, around 1918). @Roseanne R., it certainly could have, but also certainly not in all Sears Kit homes. Built in 1930, and the grandson of the original owner/builder told us it was a Sears house. 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. That last house in Boulder, Colorado is a perfect example of the 1920s version of the Sears Oakdale, not the Clyde. The Close has a policy of fierce editorial independence. Galeries Lafayette - department store; France. Between 1908 and 1940, more than 70,000 of these Sears Kit Homes were built across America. 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? 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. The house was shipped by Gordon Van Tine Co. of Davenport IA, and delivered by railroad box car to the New Hamburg freight yard. 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. 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). In the early 1900s, the address for Sears' Chicago headquarters was 975 Homan Ave., Chicago, Illinois, and should be on the shipping label. catalog homes in Dutchess County, NY. 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). Browse the list below to see if there are Modern Homes in your city or state, or to find someone who owns the same model as you. Those in bold are ones that I have written blog posts about, and the link takes you to the blog post: A few years ago, author Rosemary Thornton published, I can tell you, definitively, that the following five houses from that blog post, are not, in fact, Sears houses. Sears Archives Home Page NTL Stacks: NA8480.N61, Aladdin Houses. 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. 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. 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. Price: $334,000. Apartment in Munich, Upper Bavaria. 239 W. Russell Street, Barrington, $949,000. In the 19-teens, 1920s, and 1930s, American suburban neighborhoods were growing. 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. Love these homes. The thickness dimensions do not include field-applied top coat layers of finished plaster. Daniel Friedman has inspected and identified Sears catalog homes in the Hudson Valley of New York, and has included additional identification Thornton is also Of course, the home has been heavily modified from what we think its roots were as an Elmhurst model Sears catalog home, but that just adds to the charm, not to mention the square footage. 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. The American Foursquare house, defined by its distinctive cube shape and hip roof, was popular in the 1890-1930s, especially for its affordability. The National Trust Library offers catalogs of Aladdin kit houses. They are always welcome. - Stacey Vairo et als, HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY FOR THE TOWN OF WILTON, CONNECTICUT [PDF] (2018) Wilton Historical Society, http://wiltonhistorical.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/2018-Survey-Narrative.pdf also available at Sears, Roebuck and Co. sold about 100,000 kit houses from catalogs between 1908 and 1942. On 2022-04-20 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. - Keystone homes (50 y.o. 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. For readers whose Sears Kit home used Sears Goodwall plasterboard as a plaster base (in stead of wood or wire lath) you might be able to find a "Goodwall Sheet Plaster" stamped on the wall-cavity side of the rock lath and you might notice that the rock-lath sections were usually 4' x 4' - unlike modern drywall and fiberboard products that were and are more-often 4' x 8' or longer. Square Footage: 1,356. We do not accept money, services, or products in exchange for positive reviews or product placement. Indoors, large windows welcome in natural light. They were hoping to meet the needs and desires of the same folks who were buying from the lumber companies. Price: $200,000 Happy home: This 880-square-foot, ranch-style home has two bedrooms. Edith, 74, told the newspaper: Outdoors, a large deck in the backyard offers an ideal spot for warm-weather entertaining. At these sales centers,sales agents helped home buyers design just the home they wanted. I realize that there were 7 or so kit house companies at the time. NTL Stacks: TH4840.S43 1935, Modern Homes. 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. For this week's listing of the week, we decided to find seven charming Sears Catalog homes you can actually buy today. 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. Easily identified by its hanging bay window on the side (which extends up to the roof line) and its distinctive Castleton dormer with 3 windows. They included location specifics and many photos. - Thornton, op. now, this woman was the head of facilities for the company and knew her stuff, but looking at the . A Sears house is: not a steel panel house (those are usually Lustron houses), not 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), not a house built after 1942 (or before 1908), not the only brand of kit house that existed (other companies include Gordon-Van Tine, Aladdin Homes, Bennett Homes, Wardway homes, and others). Just inquiring about good history. What is a Sears kit house? Please call or text 815-603-7338. Real Estate. homes have been much modified or expanded since their original construction. this house in near Novato California in Marin County. The renovation expanded the homes footprint to four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and more than 2,000 square feet. ], Sears began offering Goodwall sheet plaster as a replacement for the more labor-intensive wood lath plaster systems used in older homes. 1. Scroll down to the section with that title, to learn more about plans-only companies. she offers a Sears house identification service. Becky Bracken covers celebrity and other notable real estate for Realtor.com. 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. @Dee, Our national database of Sears houses in the U.S. has over 13,600 homes on it, and, after Ohio and Illinois, Pennsylvania is #3 in U.S. states with, at today's count, 1,963 Sears homes found. Share these engaging posts on Facebook & Instagram. Let our vast experience and top picks guide your decision. Considering Sears, Roebuck & Co. was founded in Chicago back in 1893, it's no surprise Illinois boasts many of the company's ready-to-assemble kit homes (second only to Ohio). Thank you for the resources. Asking: $379,900 Sears Roebuck Model: Elmhurst Year Built: 1932 Listing Agent: Julie Armington Listing Brokerage: F.C. Here are those we know of from Lewis Homes, Gordon-Van Tine, Wardway (Montgomery Ward), and Aladdin: . List of kit home catalogs available at National Trust Library: Log Cabins. bungalow ordered in 1926 for $1000. The Fullerton Sears Kit House - Photos and examples [Click to enlarge any image] . The house has been expanded and modified. The gorgeous 2-acre lot has plenty of room to expand. Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly. Sears Modern Homes, Sears Roebuck, Sears Kit Homes, Sears Catalog, Home Plans, Vintage Homes, Bungalow Plans, Sears Honor Bilt, . The Homart kits that Sears sold, were available from about 1946-1952 (depending on your source). Stamps on millwork or labels from "Norwood Sash and Door" (maybe) indicate Sears suppliers. 69 reviews of The Home Depot "4 stars for home depot. In Chicago, Richard Sears had an equally disruptive idea. We have a Sears Craftsman home that was built in 1910-1912 and would love to identify the style off home. For this weeks listing of the week, we decided to find seven charming Sears Catalog homes you can actually buy today. 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! Michael If you read about a product or service on this website, its because we genuinely think its great. Dimensions are also the same, and when we purchased it in 2018 from the grandson of the original owner/builder, he told us is a Sears house. By downloading, youll automatically subscribe to our weekly newsletter. I know New Hamburg well, having spent a lifetime nearby in Poughkeepsie. ADORABLE Sears-kit home! provides examples of clues useful in identifying Sears Catalog Kit Homes. Scroll down to the section with that title, to learn more about plans-only companies. A handful of Sears homes have been identified in Canada. The Aladdin Company, Bay City, Michigan. 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. 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. While it's absolutely true that Sears Modern Homes house kits were shipped by train, in several box-car loads, by rail, I think that the whole concept of the railroad being part of the story, has been greatly misunderstood. The following excerpt is from Rosemary Thornton's book cited on this page: In 1915, Sears offered Wood Fiber Wall Board, an early sheetrock-type alternative to lath and plaster. Hello! 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). I own a home in Prattville, AL that Ive been told by surrounding neighbors was purchased from Sears and Roebuck. I'd like to be able to answer your question but as there were over 100 kit home models made over quite a few decades, with just your description I cannot. Ready Built House Company, Portland, Oregon. I appreciate the additional detail on lath that I had forgotten. If you can find other details such as finding specific stamps, lumber marks, or hardware in your particular house that confirm it as a particular company's kit home and also paging through the kit home catalogs we list to match that roof design and entry porch, for example. Any idea where I might find plans from before 1908? Details on the first floor indicate original to 1925 as the deed says. Bill and Diana Zoeller's dog Bear stands on the original flooring inside their Craftsman home. Price: $239,000 Converse Heights: Built in 1925, this three-bedroom, Arts and Craftsstyle home shines. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website. 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. 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. Asking: $484,500 Sears Modern Homes Model: The Glen Falls Year Built: 1928 Listing Agent: Markus Cross Listing Brokerage: Keller Williams Bluegrass. 721 Illinois Street, Geneva, IL, 60134 Sold for $390,000. Thank you Rus, that's helpful detail. And, like all of the companies, Sears offered homes of many sizes and styles. Some Vintage Kit Homes Now Sell for Over $1 Million. - Keystone house plans (modern prefab construction) from Nelson Homes - https://nelson-homes.com/home-plans/keystone/ On 2022-01-23 Detailed in her book entitled, The Houses That Sears Built , Rosemary Thornton writes: "Between 1908 - 1940, more than 75,000 Sears's homes were built. 1917. , that's just not really part of the equation. Sears Catalog Homes (sold under the Sears Modern Homes name) were catalog and kit houses sold primarily through mail order by Sears, Roebuck, and Company, an American retailer. 1915. Sears Whitehall. @Jessica, I would love to get more information about the Sears Roebuck Home I have recently purchased in Fresno, CA. You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted. Number18. Minor andmajor changes - from adding a few more windows to changing from a hip roof to agabled roof - were suggested and encouraged. Other details can include finding specific stamps, lumber marks, or hardware in your particular house that confirm it as a particular company's kit home and also paging through the kit home catalogs we list to match that roof design and entry porch, for example. 1920. Enthusiasts call the Magnolia the "holy grail of kit houses." (Photo: Courtesy Andrew and Wendy Mutch) This past . I can't figure out what model this home is. Asking: $375,000 Sears Modern Homes Model: The Crescent Year Built: 1929 Listing Agent: Steve Heilig Listing Brokerage: Baird & Warner. Also lovingly renovated with lots of lovely original details like picture frame mouldings and french doors, 5953 Jefferson in Burlington, Kentucky looks like the perfect place to while away a summer afternoon with a mint julep and a great book. Any suggestions on where to start looking? Thornton rattles off some statistics about Sears Catalog homes and sears osborn, sears wilmore, sears jewel, sears jewell, sears hillsboro, sears houses in Pennsylvania, Sears houses in Pittsburgh, national database of sears houses, sears houses in the u.s., sears house seeker, 5242 towers terrace, 1213 fairmont avenue, 118 poplar street, sears modern homes, sears home construction division, sears house catalogs, antiquehome.org, kit houses, mail order houses .