I am about to sell and would love any help in finding out more to pass on to the next buyer. 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. Located in Cairo Illinois, the largest of these mills covered nearly 40 acres, and the sheer variety of homes it shipped out was staggering. contain additional specific details which you will find instrumental in identifying Sears Catalog Homes. These easy-to-assemble, mail-order homes were shipped across the United States and Canada, according to the Sears archives. 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 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. Sears Modern Homes typically arrived with a detailed instruction manual and two boxcars worth of building materials. The book details the 60 most popular designs (of the 375 designs Sears produced) with original catalog drawings and contemporary pictures. Can you tell me if I am right ? 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. Any ASHI, NAHI, or other serious home inspector who has been working in the Hudson Valley of New York or for that matter in many other U.S. cities and towns for a decade or more has probably inspected several Sears Catalog homes, even if s/he did not recognize it at the time. The National Trust Library offers catalogs of Aladdin kit houses. Do you know the city and state? For nearly 100 years the home has been meticulously cared for and features hardwood flooring, enclosed front porch, and renovated kitchen. Choosing the best hard money lenders for your investment projects can be tricky. In Alabama, dozens of historic homes are rumored to be kit houses but only a small percentage have been certified as . On 2021-08-18 Homes Sears Homes Enthusiasts Following is a list of Sears Homes enthusiasts who have agreed to share their names with others who might be interested in contacting them by clicking on their name. @Judy Gehrlich, Sears promised that this sheet plaster was superior to lath and plaster for many reasons, including its fire resistant qualities. provides examples of clues useful in identifying Sears Catalog Kit Homes. It has a sears name plate in basement. Asking: $375,000 Sears Modern Homes Model: The Crescent Year Built: 1929 Listing Agent: Steve Heilig Listing Brokerage: Baird & Warner. 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 (. Sears offered these houses from 1908-1940 and there were 370 different designs. Their best wall product was Goodwall Sheet Plaster, which was plaster encased in layers of heavy cardboard. a company which sold it as a kit house in the early 1940's. Continue to look for the kit house identification clues discussed above on this page and in this article series. Item #1 is a great reference catalog of home designs, And give us the country and city of location of the home. In . - Keystone homes (50 y.o. - Keystone house plans (modern prefab construction) from Nelson Homes - https://nelson-homes.com/home-plans/keystone/ 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. I can't figure out what model this home is. An April 1955 photo of the Zoeller home shows the siding now painted white instead of the original wood color. 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. Hi Wizards, A consummate salesman, Ford even joked that the Model T was available in any color his customers wanted, as long as it was black. This Sears Sunbeam is a lovely example and in original condition. 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; Daniel Friedman, Rosemary Thornton. Im looking for information pertaining to Robinsons Kits. 1924. Price: $374,900 Burlington beauty:According to the listing, this catalog home is the Vallonig model. 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. We have encountered such a home in northern Dutchess County in New York State, one which looks just like a Sears model but Becky Bracken covers celebrity and other notable real estate for Realtor.com. by InspectApedia (mod). Michael Sears, Roebuck and Company, Chicago, Illinois. Because kit homes made wide use of already-popular house styles you cannot be sure of a kit status from the photo alone. This home is in Dansville, NY and was built in 1930. 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 kit homes contained 30,000 pieces, including 750 pounds of nails, 27 gallons of paint, and a 75-page instruction book. In fact, the Chelsea (a 2,000-square-foot foursquare) came with 840 square yards of wooden lath. North Avenue, in Pleasant Valley, NY, a "gothic cottage" Crescent model built in 1932 for $1761. 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. Tucker/Crossroads. These are listed here. 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 Like most well built craftsman homes, everything just works. However the owners and listing realtor had been unable to identify the Sears catalog model. 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 Sears Modern Homes catalog from 1930. @Cathy, After 1940: However some homes could have been purchased around 1939 or 1940 but not completed until several years later, depending One of sears original models. by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. Price: $334,000. 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. Ohio and Illinois are still leading, though, with 2700+ and 2300+, respectively. Thank You, Marsha Blankenship, Your email address will not be published. We do not accept money, services, or products in exchange for positive reviews or product placement. We did not photograph the kitchen and bath as they had been remodeled leaving no obvious original materials. I own a home in Prattville, AL that Ive been told by surrounding neighbors was purchased from Sears and Roebuck. By downloading, youll automatically subscribe to our weekly newsletter. The company promised a man of average abilities that he could finish the house within 90 days if he followed the 75-page instruction . Aladdin Homes. I believe we own one of the original sears homes. At these sales centers,sales agents helped home buyers design just the home they wanted. If the house at 35 Point St., New Hamburg, NY, was "shipped by Gordon Van Tine" It is more likely a Montgomery Ward "Wardway" structure, or perhaps one of the Van Tine company's own. St. Louis is home to a small neighborhood of pre-fab kit homes made by the Gunnison homes company, in 1949. Sears Houses: This article series provides detailed photographic and historic clues to assist in ). Please refrain from any comments or jokes about anything else. 1918. 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. On 2022-04-20 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. cit. Eric: I've looked through the Sears kit house archives (that I do not think are actually complete) and don't see that exact cape cod design with the center chimney and with that lower roof level and smaller window on the right. R.R. @Jessica, Sears prefabricated almost all of these homes in giant mills situated across the country. 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. We recommend those books for any owner or serious investigator of Sears Catalog homes. WHEN AND WHERE WERE SEARS CATALOG HOUSES BUILT? We describe and provide photographs of Sears Catalog homes, using examples of these homes located in the Hudson Valley of New York. Look for additional clues besides lumber stamping, such as hardware, windows, etc. The Madeira Historical Society has this Sears home kit catalog from 1932. 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. 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. Well, what did you think of our picks of the best Sears Catalog Homes on the market? With this new book, even the inexperienced can make "educated" conclusions about whether or not a home is one of the 75,000+ Sears catalog kit homes that were sold between 1908 and 1940. So before you open up yet another Superior Realty, check out these examples, branding tips and our very own name generator. We are proud to carry Dutch Housing manufactured & modular homes. My home was built in 1915 , an addition was built on in the 1980s , but I believe the original home was from a kit. Wondering what model this Sears Craftsman is. List of kit home catalogs available at National Trust Library: Log Cabins. 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). description of this home at 15 N. Remsen, Wappingers Falls, NY. The best place to start would be see Want even more free resources? NTL Stacks: NA8480.N61, Aladdin Homes. 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? @Carlyn, Homes offers a wide variety of energy efficient homes ranging in size from 950 to over 2300 square feet with prices starting as low as fifty dollars per square foot depending on style & size. The updated five-bedroom home is zoned for residential and commercial use, which makes it a great opportunity for a bed-and-breakfast or live-work space. 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. Sears Goodwall was touted as more fire-resistant than alternative plant-based fiberboard sheathing products. Thornton is also Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like. Here, then, is a list of all of the Sears Modern Homes kit houses that we have found, in the broad area of the city of St. Louis, and St. Louis County (and those two examples in St. Charles County). The original 1926 Sears & Roebuck label identifying the house at 115 Belleclaire Avenue in Longmeadow as a Sears kit house. catalog homes in Dutchess County, NY. On 2022-02-01 by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. The Fullerton Sears Kit House - Photos and examples [Click to enlarge any image] . Would like to build one. Required fields are marked *. Harris Brothers Company, Chicago, Illinois. Number 29. There are part number stenciled on the boards. 920 North Madison Avenue, Anderson, Indiana Asking: $379,900 1917. If you havent sold it yet, Id be happy to refer someone to you in your area. Presented at the Hudson Valley American Society of Home Inspectors HVASHI Annual Historic Homes Inspection-Seminar, Kingston, NY - 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. The construction company ordered standard-length lumber through the lumber yards, measured, cut, and constructed the house. 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. (order #51300) by George and Gorgianna Hasbrook in honor of their golden wedding anniversary. ALADDIN KIT HOUSES https://inspectapedia.com/Design/Aladdin_Kit_Houses.php Sears estimated that a plasterer would charge you $200, which included nailing up all those thin strips of lath and applying three coats of plaster (1916). Scroll down to the section with that title, to learn more about plans-only companies. 613.3K . The houses were sold out of the pages of the Sears Roebuck catalog, and the houses in St. Louis were shipped from Cairo, Illinois. by Inspectapedia Com Moderator. Any help is appreciated! 8 September 2005. We have a Sears Craftsman home that was built in 1910-1912 and would love to identify the style off home. 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. 870,000. 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. 1 story, 2 br, chimney In middle. Sears estimated that the average carpenter would charge $450 to . 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. You will want to look for additional key details such as those given above on this page. As shown here in September, 2005 this charming house was listed for sale by its owners for $299,000. Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca, Click to Show or Hide Citations & References. Enthusiasts call the Magnolia the "holy grail of kit houses." (Photo: Courtesy Andrew and Wendy Mutch) This past . New York state is 4th, with 1,679 houses found. It comes with a 10-year-old garage, garden house in the backyard, an unfinished basement, and a floored attic. The Anderson, Indiana house is a custom design as are quite a few Sears houses in Anderson, some of which were featured in the Modern Homes catalog in the early 1930s. A Sears catalog home fan website, searshomes.org discusses the plaster systems used in older homes, including Sears kit homes. Number 26. 10+ American Foursquare Sears Kit House Plans [Part 1] by Jen July 27, 2022. 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. Scroll down to the section with that title, to learn more about plans-only companies. 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. Since 1971 Sears Mfg. I would love an opinion. Other kit homes, not Sears, include Montgomery Ward Kit homes and Aladdin Kit homes. The big thinkers at Sears Roebuck took ready-to-build homes one step further. 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. GUIDE TO KIT HOUSES AND HOMES However the combination of catalog Rock lath plaster systems like the Goodwall sheet plaster product are detailed. @Roseanne R., it certainly could have, but also certainly not in all Sears Kit homes. 20 items. 1920. We also had help - the home 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. COMMENT:Here's is a photo of the Sears ready-cut house that my grandfather build. Homes has been a family owned & operated home center.