Virginia | Sears Modern Homes

Alhambra Abuse

May 14th, 2013 Sears Homes 4 comments

The Alhambra was a fine-looking Spanish-flavored bungalow, and a very popular model for Sears.

However…

In my travels, I’ve seen these little pretties subjected to all manner of abuse.

The most egregious abuse is typically inflicted by vinyl-siding peddlers, those plastic-pushing pernicious parasites who roam the country, seeking whom they may devour with their polyvinyl chloride products of pestilence.

Not that I have strong feelings about this, mind you.

Several years ago, a vinyl-siding salesman appeared at the door of my 1925 Colonial Revival home, asking me if I was getting tired of painting the old cypress clapboards. He said he had a product that would make my house “maintenance free,” and asked if I’d like an estimate.

“Mister,” I said in a low growl, “You just need to back away very slowly, for BOTH of our sakes. Now just be on your way, and don’t ever EVER come back.”

I never did see him again. And that’s a good thing.

When applied to older homes, vinyl siding is very damaging to old houses, and can trap moisture between interior and exterior walls, causing mold, mildew, bug infestation and eventually wood rot.

In “The Vinyl Lie” (an article that can be found here), Architectural Conservator Gary Kleier writes,

During the installation of vinyl siding a layer of styrene insulation board is applied over the wood siding, and the vinyl siding is applied to that. This insulation board forms an effective barrier to the passage of water vapor, thereby trapping it within the wall. During the winter months this water vapor will condense to liquid water and began rotting the wood materials. Over a period of years the structural integrity of the exterior walls can be completely destroyed. Further, the presence of deteriorating wood has been shown to attract termites and other wood attacking insects.

Gary specializes in restoration architecture and architectural forensic service. You can visit his website here.

To read some VERY well-done articles on the damage of substitute siding on older homes, click here.

Or read the full text of Gary’s article here.

To see a WONDERFUL documentary on the damage that vinyl causes, click here.

If you’d like to spend several days reading articles on how much damage vinyl siding does to an older home, google the words, “benefits of removing vinyl” plus “historic home.”

If you’d like to see what happens to the curb appeal of houses with vinyl siding, scroll on down.

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The Alhambra, as seen in the 1921 catalog.

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It's unique floorplan makes it easy to identify!

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Let's start by showing a VERY pretty Alhambra (in Gaffney, SC). What a fine-looking house!

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Oh man. that's really, really bad. And this time, it wasn't the vinyl siding salesman that ruined the home's original beauty. No, this house was attacked by an older version of the VSS. This house was attacked by a real ASS! (Aluminum Siding Salesman). Location: Ohio.

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Somewhere in Ohio, an Alhambra is missing its identify.

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Ouch. Again. By enclosing the front porch, they made those distinctive front windows disappear. They're still visible inside the house. Can this house be restored to its original appearance? Yes, but it'd be a whole lot of work. Location: Wisconsin.

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Substitute sidings wreak havoc on historic homes. Location: Michigan.

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Somewhere in Washington, DC, an architect has lost his mind. Yes Virginia, this is a Sears Alhambra. Or was. Gosh, I'm sure this house is MUCH more valuable now!!! NOT.

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And let's close on a happy note. One of my Top Ten All-Time Favorite Alhambras. This beauty is in Lexington, VA. Notice the fan light over the door! And it still has its original downspouts. Beautiful!

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Next Stop, Waynesboro?

May 7th, 2013 Sears Homes 5 comments

My talk in Staunton was well-organized (thanks to Historic Staunton Foundation) and well attended (standing room only!) and it was a lot of fun!

And what an unexpected delight to discover such a variety of kit homes in nearby Staunton! (Click here to read more about what we found!)

On my way to Staunton last week, I took a quickie ride through Waynesboro and found a handful of kit homes. Some day soon, I’d love to come back and do a more thorough survey and give a talk.

For those newbies here, what is a Sears kit home?

In the early 1900s, Sears sold entire kit homes through their mail-order catalog. These 12,ooo-piece kits came with a 75-page instruction book that promised “a man of average abilities” could have the house assembled in 90 days! From 1908-1940, Sears sold about 70,000 of these kits, and finding them is just like looking for hidden treasure.

To learn more about the history of Sears Modern Homes, click here.

To read about the kit homes I found in Charlottesville, click here.

To see what I found in Waynesboro, scroll on down!

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The 1920s were the hey-day for the Sears Modern Homes program. At its peak, the Sears Modern Homes catalog had almost 150 pages, with 100 models offered. Shown here is the cover of the 1930 catalog, with a Sears Lewiston on the front cover.

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If you buy a Sears Modern Home, even your little dog will be happy!

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The Lewiston was a hugely popular house for Sears.

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It's missing the happy dog and the little girl, but it's definitely a Sears Lewiston, and it's in Waynesboro. Unfortunately, the original windows were replaced and the vinyl siding has obliterated some of the unique detail. However, it's still identifiable as a Sears Lewiston.

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And you can tell it's a Sears Home because it has an "S" on the chimney. Ah not really. That's a tired old myth that's been lurking around on the internet since Al Gore first invented it. Oh wait, that's another old story. In fact, that "S" on the chimney has nothing to do with Sears. It's just a stylistic detail often found on Neo-Tudors. And I don't think Al Gore had much to do with inventing the internet, either. :)

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The Lewiston was remodeled, but it looks like the front door was spared! :)

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The Sears Lynnhaven was a very popular house (1938 catalog).

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And it was also a very pretty house.

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The owners obviously love this house, but I wonder if they know that it *might* be a Sears kit house?

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And I found a Del Rey in Waynesboro, too, and this Del Rey is in beautifully original condition!

The Dely Rey I found in Waynesboro, is in beautifully original condition (1919 catalog).

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Check out the floorplan for the Del Rey.

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Notice the little railings in front of the casement windows? In all my travels, I have never seen a Del Rey that actually had these little railings in place. Until Waynesboro...

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Be still my quivering heart! It's a picture perfect Del Rey!

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And it even has the little bump out (as seen above in the floorplan) for the kitchen area.

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And not only does it have its original windows, but its original wooden storm windows!

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Do these folks know that they have a Sears House? About 90% of the time, the people living in these historically significant homes did not realize what they had, until they were contacted by me (or someone *like* me!).

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Next on the list is the Sears Collingwood (1930 catalog).

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The Westwood is another kit home that I had never seen before in the flesh until I went to Waynesboro.

The Collingwood is another kit home that I had never seen before "in the flesh" until I went to Waynesboro. Notice the unusual bay window in the dining room with its hipped roof.

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Wow, what a match! Unfortunately, I didn't have my chain saw with me, so the view was blocked by a Japanese Maple. I also forgot to bring along a tow truck to get that Ford Explorer out of the way. Seriously, the house was blocked by a myriad of obstacles. And the windows have been replaced - sadly.

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The dormer is also a spot-on match. And apparently, it gets REALLY hot upstairs. Ive never seen dueling air conditioners before.

Apparently, it gets REALLY hot upstairs. I've never seen dueling air conditioners before. That aside, the details on this attic dormer are also just right.

To learn more about how to identify kit homes, click here.

To inquire as to Rose’s availability, please leave a comment below.

If you enjoyed the blog, please send the link to a friend!

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They Were So Sure It Was a Sears Home! (in Staunton)

May 4th, 2013 Sears Homes 3 comments

When Frank Strassler (Historic Staunton Foundation) was driving me around Staunton on May 1st and 2nd, he pointed out this little bungalow with the blue shutters not once but twice, mentioning that the homeowners had been told - several times - that their home was a Sears kit home.

After looking at it for a moment, I concluded that it was not a Sears Home, but I took a few photos anyway, hoping I could match it up after I got home (where I have more than 2,000 catalog images from other kit home companies).

Thursday night, after the lecture, the homeowners talked with me for a moment and showed me more photos of this very same house, repeating what Frank had said. They’d been told by several people, their home was definitely a Sears House.

I told them that I’d taken several photos and would try to identify the house for them when I got home.

And then tonight (Saturday, May 4th), I was searching through my catalogs for another kit home when I saw an image that rang a bell! It was the little bungalow with blue shutters from Staunton.

So it was a kit house, but it was not a kit house from Sears!

How often does this happen?

Well, about 80% of the time, people who think they have a Sears Home are wrong, but the majority of the time, it turns out that they do have a kit home, but it’s not from Sears.

In the early 1900s, there were six companies selling kit homes through mail order catalogs. Sears was just one of them. Gordon Van Tine was another. The little blue bungalow in Staunton came from Gordon Van Tine.

To read more about the kit homes in Staunton, click here or here.

To contact Rose, please leave a comment below.

A little PS: The night of my talk (May 2nd), I told the Sears and Roebuck Tombstone Story (a perennial favorite) and someone mentioned that there are a couple Sears and Roebuck tombstones in Thornrose Cemetery in Staunton. I’ve spent many years hunting down a S&R tombstone! If you know where these tombstones are, please leave a comment below.

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Apparently, it was widely believed that this was a kit home from Sears, but in fact, it was from Gordon Van Tine (another kit home company).

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In fact, it's Gordon Van Tine Model 587 (as seen in the 1918 catalog).

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"Notice also the odd touches in the design which make it distinctively different."

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The addition on the side of the house (shown in the first photo above) apparently was put right off the side porch. That bathroom is mighty small.

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Close up of the house shows what a fine match it is!

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This picture was taken before that Nandina got so tall and hid the side windows! Photo is from the Staunton Auditor's office, and I am really, really hoping that the fine folks in the Staunton's Auditor's office don't mind my using this photo.

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A side-by-side comparison of the little house in Staunton and the catalog image.

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And you'll notice that the front door is original, too! Beautiful landscaping, too!

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Check out the details around the front porch.

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This close-up shows the detail of the lattice work around the columns. It's amazing that this lattice work is still intact. The pergola is gone, replaced with a solid roof, but this is a common modification.

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What a pretty house! And now we know - it did *not* come from Sears, but from a mail-order company in Davenport, Iowa: Gordon Van Tine!

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I sure do hope the owners come back and check my blog!

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To learn more about Gordon Van Tine, please visit Dale’s website here.

To learn more about the kit homes in Staunton, click here.

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Staunton, Virginia: More Amazing Finds

May 3rd, 2013 Sears Homes 2 comments

A couple days ago (May 1st), I returned to Staunton to do a little more research on the kit homes in the city (in preparation for my talk on May 2nd), and this time, I was driven around by Frank Strassler, head of the Historic Staunton Foundation. It’s a lot easier to focus on kit homes when someone else is doing all the driving, and especially when that someone else knows where they’re going!

We found many kit homes that I’d not seen during a prior visit, and the most intriguing find was the four Harris Brothers kit homes we discovered. Frankly, I suspect there are more than four HB houses in Staunton, but I’m not that familiar with this company and, I have very few of their catalogs.

Harris Brothers (formerly the Chicago House Wrecking Company) was based in Chicago, Illinois. How did four Harris Brothers houses end up in Staunton? And three of them were in the same neighborhood (Sears Hill).

Hopefully, some of Staunton’s history loving residents will poke around a bit more, because I’m sure there are many more hidden architectural treasures just waiting to be found.

And, a little aside: My favorite memory of the lecture on Thursday evening? I asked the crowd (128 attendees!), “Before there was a World War Two, does anyone know what we called World War One?”

To my utter delight and astonishment, a cacophony of voices replied, “The Great War.”

It was sheer bliss to realize that I was surrounded by so many history lovers. In all my travels, there’s typically a lone voice (or less), that correctly answers that question. The people of Staunton really do love their history, and better yet, they know their history, and that’s such a joy to behold.

To read the first blog I wrote about Staunton’s kit homes, click here.

OOOH, an update! Read about my newest find in Staunton here!

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First, my favorite find in Staunton. Shown above is Modern Home #2028 from the 1923 Harris Brothers catalog (courtesy of Dale Wolicki).

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It looks like a massive house, but in fact, it's 22 feet wide and 29 feet deep.

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Originally, I snapped this photo just because it seemed like a good idea. Sometimes, something will trigger a memory, and I didn't consciously remember having seen this house, and yet, when I got back to my hotel and started going through the old catalogs, I realized it was a perfect match to the Harris Brothers #2028!

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And, as a nice bonus, I even managed to snap my one photo from the perfect angle! Though not easily seen in the photo above, the house in Staunton has the two bay windows, just as it should!

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The other three Harris Brothers homes were in one neighborhood: Sears Hill. Shown above is Modern Home #1017 from the 1923 Harris Brothers catalog (courtesy of Dale Wolicki).

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The HB 1017, as seen in 1923.

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And here's the 1017 in Staunton! Look at the unique window arrangement on the home's front. And check out those unique columns, and the bracketing under the eaves. It was tough to get a good photo, but the little attic window is also a spot-on match to the catalog page. The house is 24 feet' wide and 36 feet deep. The dimensions of this house (shown above) seem to be a good match! The line drawings (from the original catalogs) are sometimes a little bit off in scale and proportion.

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If you look down the side, you'll see it's a good match there, too. BTW, Staunton is very hilly, and I learned that it's tough to get good house photos in hilly neighborhoods! And, the angle skews the proportions. Short of carrying a 20-foot stepladder around on top of the Camry, I'm not sure how to solve this.

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HB # 1025 was another "favorite" find for me, and yet another kit home that I'd never seen before. From the 1923 Harris Brothers catalog (courtesy of Dale Wolicki).

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HBClose-up of HB #1025. From the 1923 Harris Brothers catalog (courtesy of Dale Wolicki).

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At the lower right of that catalog page (seen above), is an actual photo of a HB #1025. This photo shows off those beautiful six casement windows on the front.

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Be still my heart!!! Heres a real life example

What a fine house! Here's a real life example of HB #1025. And look at those pretty casement windows! Were it not for those original windows, I'm not sure I would have recognized this 90-year-old kit home.

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Another view of those wonderful old casements. By the way, apparently this house is for sale. Someone should contact the owner and let them know - this is a kit house!

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Close-up of the porch columns. And this house still has its original gutters.

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HB #1007 was one of their more popular designs, however... It's also a house that has several "twins." Given that Staunton's #1007 is within three houses of the other two HB homes, I'm going to assume that the model in Staunton is indeed from Harris Brothers.

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Nice house, isn't it? Love the rocking chairs!

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Staunton's own HB #1017.

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While we were out driving around, I also spotted a Sears Woodland. The Woodland is an eye-catcher because it has those two full-sized windows flanking the front door. And it has an unusual window arrangement down the right side (as shown here). This image is from the 1919 catalog.

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The small attic dormer is missing but other than that, this is a great match. Due to landscaping, I was not able to get a good photo of that right side, but it does match the catalog image. Was the house built sans dormer, or was it removed during a roofing job? Hard to know, but I'd guess that it was built this way. And, this house is next door to the big Harris Brothers foursquare (#2028).

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Another fun discovery on this most recent trip was the Sears Winona in Staunton (1938 catalog).

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This house was offered in two floorplans (in 1938). The floorplan shown here is a match to the house in Staunton. It squeezes three bedrooms into 960 square feet.

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A key feature in identifying this very simple house is the small space between those two windows in the gabled bay (dining room).

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What a nice match!

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And the other side is a good match, too!

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Despite two days of driving around, we never did spot the Stanhope (Aladdin) purchased by Mr. Linkenholer.

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As seen in the 1919 catalog, here's a picture of the Aladdin Stanhope. Where's Mr. Linkholer's Stanhope? I'd love to know!

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To learn more about how to identify kit homes, click here.

To contact Rose, please leave a comment below!

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Categories: Uncategorized Tags: aladdin plymouth, aladdin wilmont, american foursquares, artist house b&b, Artists house, artists house bed and breakfast, california's kit homes, chicago is a wreck, chicago wrecking, chicago wrecking company, cordova, craftsman, craftsman bungalow, craftsman homes, fargo mansion, four squares, foursquare, foursquares, gordon van tine, gordon van tine homes, gordon van tine house, harris brothers, harris brothers kit homes, historic kit homes in staunton, honor bilt, honor built, houses in staunto, kit home the crafton, kit homes from harris, kit homes in staunton, montgomery ward, montgomery ward houses, more better, more better photos, old kit homes, orange barn, orange sears kit barn, precut kit homes, precut kits, prefab, prefab houses, prefabricated, Rose Thornton, Rosemary Thornton, sears and montgomery ward, sears and wards, sears berwyn, sears berwyne, sears cordova, sears crafton, Sears Homes, sears homes in orange, sears homes in staunton, sears homes in virginia, sears homes of Illinois, Sears house, sears kit home, Sears kit Homes, sears kit house, sears woodland, staunton, staunton cordova, staunton is the place to be, staunton va, staunton's train depot, steam locomotives and staunton, steam trains in staunton, sussex kit house, the crafton, the crafton house, the kit homes of staunton VA, the kit house the sussex, the sears crafton, the sussex house, the sussex in staunton, the wilmont, things to see in staunton, wardway, wardway and montgomery ward, wardway homes, why I love kit homes, why I love staunton, woodland

The Bellewood: A Happy Combination!

April 26th, 2013 Sears Homes No comments

“The Bellewood is another happy combination of a well laid out floor plan with a modern exterior” (1932 Sears Modern Homes catalog).

And it’s also a real cutie-pie of a house. With only 1,000 square feet of living area, it’s not surprising that people often convert the attic into usable living space.

The Bellewood is not an easy house to find, mostly because, it was only offered a short time (1931 - 1933), which also happened to be the first years of the Great Depression. In 1931, housing starts plummeted, so finding any post-1930 Sears Home is a special treat. (In January 1931, the Chicago Tribune reported that housing starts for the year [1930] were down 53%.)

Post-1930 Sears Homes are hard to find, and yet, there was one Sears House that will still selling by the hundreds in the early 1930s: The Crafton!

By the way, are you near Staunton? If so, come to our lecture on May 2nd! :) A good time will be had by all!

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The Bellewood (1933). Note that the Sears Modern Homes department is now known as the "Home Construction Division." In 1934, Sears closed down their kit homes department and in 1935, they reopened it for a short time. In 1940, the whole program was shuttered once and for all.

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In 1932, it was described as a "Happy combination of a well laid out floor plan with a modern attractive exterior." In 1933, it was simply "an up-to-the-minute...design." How pedestrian.

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The Bellewood had a very simple floorplan, with two large closets and a tiny bathroom.

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The Bellewood, as seen in the 1933 catalog.

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A close-up of the house as seen in 1932.

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Here's a lovely Bellewood in Hopewell, Virginia. Notice the vent on the 2nd floor has been replaced with a double-hung window. There's probably not a lot of head room on that 2nd floor.

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This Bellewood (Ann Arbor, MI) is in wonderfully original condition. It still has its original windows, siding and trim. Down this wall, there should be a single window in the living room, and paired windows in the dining room, and kitchen. The living room window is paired, and the dining room windows are missing. Given that it has its original siding, it was probably built this way. There's certainly room for another set of windows down that long wall. Photo is copyright 2013 Andrew and Wendy Mutch, and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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The Bellewood came with "batten" shutters (shown here).

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And Lara Solinicke found this beautiful Bellewood in Des Plaines, Illinois. What a pretty house!! Again, that upstairs vent has been replaced with a double-hung window! Photo is copyright 2013 Lara Solickne and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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Does Hopewell, VA have a large collection of Sears Homes? No, they do NOT. However, they do have a Bellewood (and a handful of others). Click here to learn more.

Want to learn how to identify Sears Homes? Click here!

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The Ferndale: A Charming English Bungalow

April 21st, 2013 Sears Homes No comments

There are many ways to find a Sears House, but Andrew and Wendy Mutch found a very rare Sears House in Ann Arbor using a technique I had never thought about before: Reading the obituaries.

They discovered an obituary for an elderly woman that mentioned the building of a Sears House. Seems that Helen Bethke and her husband Emil Bethke had built a kit home in 1931, and after enjoying 64 years of wedding bliss, Emil passed on (in 1995).

Andrew and Wendy were able to figure out Mrs. Bethke’s address, but couldn’t readily identify the model. In fact, when I first saw their photos, it took me a few minutes to figure it out.

And that’s because, it’s a model I’ve never seen before.

Now that’s a thrill!

And frankly, the only reason I was able to identify this darling little house was because it was in mostly original condition. Had this beauty been slathered in vinyl siding and aluminum trim, I’d still be scratching my head and wondering.

Fortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Bethke did a fine, fine job keeping their Sears Fernwood in first-class shape. Let’s hope the home’s next owners follow their worthy example.

Mrs. Bethke’s obit: On Aug. 31, 1930, Helen married Emil Carl Bethke, and after 64 years of marriage, he preceded her in death in June of 1995. They built their Sears kit home in 1931, and raised their children in that old West Side home on Koch Street.

To learn more about the kit homes in Ann Arbor, click here.

On May 2nd, come to Rose’s lecture in Staunton, Virginia!

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The Ferndale was only offered for two years, 1929 and 1933. It's shown here in the 1929 catalog.

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Those dark shutters are not only pleasing, but functional!

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It tickles me that the tub on the Ferndale juts out in this floorplan.

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It is indeed a "charming" little house.

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And thanks to Mrs. Bethke, it's still in mostly original condition, looking much like it did when built in 1931. Will the new owners take good care of it, and preserve the original windows, siding and shutters? We can only hope. Photo is copyright 2013 Andrew and Wendy Mutch and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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Check out the detail around the front porch (1929 catalog).

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Now it's for sale, but 80 years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Bethke bought it as a 12,000-piece kit from Sears and Reobuck, and then built their own home. Very impressive. Photo is copyright 2013 Andrew and Wendy Mutch and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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A view of our darling Fernwood from the other side. If you look at the floorplan above, you'll see it's a perfect match. Photo is copyright 2013 Andrew and Wendy Mutch and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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To learn more about the kit homes in Ann Arbor, click here.

On May 2nd, come to Rose’s lecture in Staunton, Virginia!

Want to learn a lot about Sears Homes in a hurry? Join us on Facebook!

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Categories: Uncategorized Tags: andrew and wendy mutch, andrew mutch, ann arbor, bethke, bethkes of michigan, building a house from a kit, building a kit home, bungalow, bungalow craze, bungalow kit, Dale Wolicki, darling little bungalow, emil bethke, emil carl bethke, helen bethke, honor bilt, houses by mail, how to find sears homes, kit bungalow, kit homes in ann arbor. sears fernwood, kit houses, little prefabs, mail order houses, michigan bethke, precut, precut kit homes, prefab houses, prefabricated houses, Rose Thornton, Rosemary Thornton, sears and roebuck, sears and roebuck mail order, sears ferndale, sears fernwood, sears homes of Illinois, sears honor built, sears kit home, sears kit homes in michigan, the bethke family, the bethkes of ann arbor, the dale of the fern, the ferndale, the houses that sears built, the kit houses from sears, the little house

Staunton, Virginia - Here I Come! (May 2nd)

April 17th, 2013 Sears Homes 2 comments

Thanks the Historic Staunton Foundation, I’ll be returning to Staunton on May 2nd to give a talk on the kit homes of Staunton!

As mentioned in a prior blog, Staunton has an interesting array of kit homes of all sizes, shapes and from several companies. And at 7 pm (Thursday evening), I’ll give a powerpoint presentation, featuring the kit homes I’ve discovered in the city.

It’ll be a lot of fun, comparing and contrasting original vintage images from the old catalogs with contemporary photos. And I’ll also talk about how to identify kit homes. A “windshield survey” is a good start, but even with a thorough street-by-street visual inspection, it’s still possible to overlook a few kit homes.

There are ways to identify a kit house from inside, including marked lumber, hidden blueprints, grease-pencil marks and shipping labels often found in unsuspecting places. We’ll talk about that on May 2nd.

Staunton has kit homes from Sears (the best known of the mail-order kit house companies), and Aladdin (the largest of the companies), Gordon Van Tine and Montgomery Ward.

And how did Staunton end up with so many kit homes? We’ll talk about that on May 2nd!

For a sneak preview of the beauties we’ve found in Staunton, scroll on down!

To learn more, visit the website for the Historic Staunton Foundation.

To read the first blog I wrote about Staunton’s kit homes, click here. (BTW, that first blog has been viewed more than 2,500 times!)

Many thanks to Leslie Hayes and Linda Ramsey for not only providing the wonderful photos shown below, but in some cases, finding these Sears Homes!

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The Berwyn as seen in the 1928 catalog.

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The Maytown was -- as the ad promised - a big seller.

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The Maytown in Staunton overlooks Gypsy Hill Park.

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The Wilmont was not a popular house (shown here in the 1920 catalog).

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And yet, is this a Wilmont in Staunton? I've puzzled over this house for close to an hour, and I'm still undecided. That dormer window on the side is pretty distinctive. I'd love to see the inside of this house. That would help me figure it out once and for all!

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The Wardway Cordova is another very distinctive house.

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The Sussex was offered by Gordon Van Tine (based in Davenport, Iowa). The image above is from the 1929 Gordon Van Tine catalog.

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My oh my, that's a sweet match!

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The Gordon Van Tine "Roberts" (shown above) was a hugely popular house.

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The Aladdin Plymouth was a classic Dutch Colonial.

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And here's a beautiful example of the Aladdin Plymouth.

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In addition to kit homes, Staunton has a few "Plan Book" houses. Plan book homes were different from ktt homes, because with a plan book house, you purchased the blueprints and a detailed inventory that showed you precisely how much lumber you'd need to order for your house. With kit homes, the lumber was included. Plan book houses were quite common in the 1920s and 1930s. This model was "The Mayfield," (offered in a plan book titled, "Harris, McHenry and Baker").

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Both of Staunton's Mayfields are painted the same color.

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The Genessee was another plan book house found in the Harris, McHenry and Baker planbook.

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The Dover is one of my favorite Sears Homes. Cute, practical and easy to identify!

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Sadly, I did not visit nearby communities in Staunton during my visit there in mid-February, but I found this house while I was driving via Google Maps. Only a tiny part of Weyer's Cave is mapped (with street views on Google), and this Dover is on the main drag. Photo is copyright 2013 Leslie M. Hayes and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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The Gladstone was one of Sears "Top Ten" most popular homes (1916 catalog).

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It's been added onto, and yet I'm wholly confident that this is a Gladstone in Weyer's Cave. It's within 1/4 mile of the Dover shown above. Photo is copyright 2013 Leslie M. Hayes and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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In all my travels, I've never seen a Sears Rosita (from the 1919 catalog).

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Linda Ramsey discovered this Sears Rosita in Deerfield, Virginia (near Staunton), and it's in original condition - a very rare find! Rositas were "Strong and Graceful" (sort of), but they were very simple and modest homes, which makes them difficult to identify and very prone to extensive and insensitive remodeling. To find this 94-year-old house in such pristine condition - and looking just like the old catalog page - is a real treat! Photo is copyright 2013 Linda Ramsey and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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The Sears Crescent was a very popular house for Sears (1928 catalog).

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Linda Ramsey also discovered this picture-perfect Crescent in Verona (also near Staunton). And what a perfect match it is! Photo is copyright 2013 Linda Ramsey and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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Wherefor art thou, little Stanhope in Staunton?

And according to Aladdin literature, there's an Aladdin Stanhope in Staunton, but where?

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Here's a perfect Aladdin Stanhope in Scotland Neck, NC (near Roanoke Rapids). Where is the Stanhope in Staunton? If you've seen it, please leave a comment below!

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Please do join us on May 2nd for my talk on Sears Homes. Having given more than 250 talks in 27 states, the top three comments I hear are:

“Oh my gosh, I had no idea that a talk on history could be so much fun!”

“I didn’t want it to end. I could have listened to you all night!”

“Your passion for this topic really shines through!”

And - as a nice bonus - it’s very educational evening, and I promise, it’ll forever change the way you see the houses in your city!

Click here to learn more about how to get tickets.

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Be there or be square!

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To learn more about identifying kit homes, click here.

To read the first blog I wrote about Staunton’s kit homes, click here.

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Categories: Uncategorized Tags: aaron montgomery ward, aladdin plymouth, aladdin wilmont, artist house b&b, Artists house, artists house bed and breakfast, california's kit homes, cordova, craftsman, craftsman bungalow, craftsman homes, fargo mansion, gordon van tine, gordon van tine homes, gordon van tine house, honor bilt, honor built, houses in staunto, kit homes in staunton, montgomery ward, montgomery ward houses, more better, more better photos, old kit homes, orange barn, orange sears kit barn, precut kit homes, precut kits, prefab, prefab houses, prefabricated, Rose Thornton, Rosemary Thornton, sears and montgomery ward, sears and wards, sears berwyn, sears berwyne, sears cordova, Sears Homes, sears homes in orange, sears homes in staunton, sears homes in virginia, sears homes of Illinois, Sears house, sears kit home, Sears kit Homes, sears kit house, staunton, staunton cordova, staunton is the place to be, staunton va, staunton's train depot, steam locomotives and staunton, steam trains in staunton, sussex kit house, the barn in orange, the berwyn, the cordova in staunton, the gordon van tine house, the houses that sears built, the kit homes in virginia, the kit homes of staunton VA, the kit house the sussex, the sussex house, the sussex in staunton, the wilmont, things to see in staunton, wardway, wardway and montgomery ward, wardway homes, why I love kit homes, why I love staunton, wilmont

A Supersized Aladdin Villa in Bartlesville, Oklahoma!

April 10th, 2013 Sears Homes 4 comments

The Sears House Lady of Tulsa, also known as indefatigable kit house researcher Rachel Shoemaker, made a little detour the other day on her way home (as we kit house lovers are wont to do), and made a wonderful discovery: A supersized Aladdin Villa in Bartlesville, Oklahoma!

The Aladdin Villa, as offered in the 1919 catalog, was 62 feet across the front (including the sunporch). That’s a big house, but the Villa that Rachel discovered is even wider.

Best of all, the Villa in Bartlesville is well-loved, and has been painstakingly maintained.

To visit Rachel’s website, click here.

Interested in learning how to identify kit homes? Click here.

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The Aladdin Villa was the crme de le creme

The Villa was the crème de la crème of Aladdin's kit homes. It was spacious, beautiful, and elegant. This drawing was based on the Villa built in Bay City, Michigan (the corporate headquarters for Aladdin). Maybe that's Otto and William on the front porch?

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Unlike most kit homes, the Villa had plenty of room, and one of the more interesting options available was third floor maids rooms.

One of the more interesting options available was the "third floor maids' quarters."

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The Villa's living room was prominently featured in the 1919 Aladdin catalog.

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And the Villa's sunporch had its own fireplace!

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If I'm doing my math right, this house was 62 feet across the front and 26 feet deep. That's a very spacious house. On many Villas, I've seen the optional second-floor sun room.

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The owners have done some remodeling to the house, but have done a first-class job. It's one of the most historically sensitive and thoughtful remodelings that I've ever come across. Photo is copyright 2013 Rachel Shoemaker and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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Rachel even managed to get a picture of this grand old house from the REAR, showing off the massive sunporch. Photo is copyright 2013 Rachel Shoemaker and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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But wait, there’s more!

In addition to the Villa, Rachel also found a Sears 264P233 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma!

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From the 1914 Sears Modern Homes catalog, here's a picture of the Sears Model 264P233.

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Oh my, what a perfect match!! And it's in Bartlesville! Wow!

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To visit Rachel’s website (focusing on the kit homes of Oklahoma) click here.

To learn more about Roanoke Rapids, click here.

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It’s People Like John P. Waters That Confuse Us Historians 100 Years Later.

April 7th, 2013 Sears Homes 1 comment

Until I started scanning a 1914 Sears Modern Homes catalog, I’d never heard of Sears Modern Home 264P165.

Prior to 1918, Sears Homes were given names rather than numbers, so we know that this unusual-looking home never made it to the 1918 catalog. In fact, it’s not in my 1912 catalog or my 1916 catalog, so it was short lived (to say the least).

And yet, by 1914, this house had been sold in New Braunfels, TX and Lansdowne, MD and New Orleans, Louisiana.

And it might have been sold to John P. Waters of Massena, Iowa.

Maybe.

Reading these testimonials can be a little tricky, and this testimonial written by John of Massena is also a little vague. Did he buy millwork? Or did he buy this house? The way this testimonial is positioned, one would surely think he bought Modern Home 264P165, and yet if you read it carefully, it seems more likely that John just purchased some millwork from Sears Roebuck sometime around 1914.

Too many times to count, people will approach me and insist that they have a Sears kit home. Despite my best efforts, I’m often unable to match their “alleged Sears House” to the 370 designs that Sears offered in the early 1900s.

When I ask these folks, “What makes you think it’s a Sears House?” they often have the same story: “My grandfather said his dad ordered it from Sears.”

Now I’ll know to ask these people, “Was your great-grandfather’s name John P. Waters?”

Because in the early 1900s, it was not unusual for people like John P. Waters to order lumber from Sears.

JUST lumber.

In 1895, Sears started offering building materials (lumber, millwork, windows, doors, sheathing, etc) through a specialty catalog. That was 13 years before the “Sears Modern Homes” program was even a glimmer in Richard Sears’ eye.

And it was in 1895 that the stories probably began: “See that house on the corner? Old John bought every stick of lumber for his house from Sears.”

Forty years later it’s, “Grandpa John ordered his house from Sears!”

And after a full century has elapsed, someone sends me an email that says, “My great grandfather John built a Sears House!”

Maybe he did.

Or maybe he pulled a “John P. Waters” and just ordered the building materials from Sears.

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To learn how to “read” lumber markings on old kit homes, click here.

To read about the wonderful kit homes of Charlottesville, click here.

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This house apparently was offered for only a couple years. And yet, there's one in Braunfels, Texas, Lansdown, Maryland and New Orleans, Louisiana (1914).

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John P. Waters testimonial was for lumber, PROBABLY, and yet it appears on the page next to the picture of the 264P165.

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The 264P165 was a very unique house, which makes it easy to identify.

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Here are the cities where three 264P165s were built.

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Whoa, check out this floorplan! Look at the bathroom! I suppose the occupants were profoundly grateful that this 1914-era kit home even *had* a bathroom, as many of these early 20th Century kit homes did not have "indoor plumbing." And check out the "living hall." It has a fireplace!

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Have you seen this house? The details around the front porch should make it easy to identify, especially if you're in New Braunfels TX, Lansdowne MD or New Orleans.

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An additional note: Apparently, Lansdowne is next door to Baltimore!

Have you seen a 264P165? Please leave a comment for Rose!

To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

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Sometimes, They’re Hiding Right By Your Biscuits…

April 5th, 2013 Sears Homes 1 comment

Having lived in Norfolk for seven years now, I have scoured every street in this city, searching for mail-order kit homes. I’ve ridden around with several friends, studied maps, queried long-time residents and harangued my husband and I was quite certain that I’d seen every early 20th Century neighborhood that Norfolk had to offer.

Wednesday night, my buddy Milton and I were on our way to CERT class, and we swung by Church’s Fried Chicken to buy some of their world-famous honey biscuits. For reasons I can’t explain, an integral part of the CERT class is a pot-luck supper. (We’re expected to bring a piquant and palatable platter of something wonderful to these weekly classes.)

As we pulled out onto Virginia Beach Blvd, I noticed a lovely Dutch Colonial staring back at me.

“Huh,” I thought to myself. “That Dutchie has an interior chimney, just like the Martha Washington (Sears Home). Isn’t that something?”

And then I noticed that it had the curved porch roof, just like the Martha Washington.

And then I looked again and thought, “And it’s got those short windows centered on the second floor, just like the Martha Washington.”

Next, I looked at the small attic window and thought, “And it’s got that half-round window in the attic, just like the Martha Washington.”

As Milton drove down the road, I twisted my head around and saw that the Dutchie had the two distinctive bay windows on the side, just like the Martha Washington. Those two windows are an unusual architecture feature, and that was the clincher.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I told Milton. “I think that’s a Sears House.”

Now anyone who’s hung around me for more than 73 minutes knows that I’m a pretty big fan of Sears Homes, and my friends understand that a significant risk of riding around with Rose is that there will be many detours when we pass by early 20th Century neighborhoods.

Milton gladly obliged and gave me an opportunity to take a long, lingering look at this Dapper Dutchie.

That night at the CERT meeting, I kept thinking about the fact that one of the most spacious and fanciest Sears Homes ever offered was sitting right here in Norfolk, and after seven years of living in this city, I just now found it.

The next day, Milton picked me up around 11:00 am and we returned to the Sears Martha Washington so that I could take a multitude of photos. Sadly, as we drove through the adjoining neighborhoods, we saw that the nearby college (Norfolk State) had apparently swallowed up great gobs of surrounding bungalows.

Between that and some very aggressive redevelopment, it appears that hundreds of early 20th Century homes are now just a dusty memory at the local landfill.

Do the owners of this Martha Washington know what they have? Based on my research, more than 90% of the people living in these historically significant homes didn’t know what they had until I knocked on their door and told them.

What a find! What a treasure! And it’s right here in Norfolk!

So is there a Magnolia hiding somewhere nearby?

To learn more about the kit homes in Norfolk, click here.

To learn how to identify marked lumber, click here.

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The Martha Washington was a grand and glorious house. According to this page from the 1921 catalog, it had seven modern rooms. I wonder how many "old-fashioned" rooms it had?

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Here's a Martha Washington that was featured in the back pages of the 1919 Sears Modern Homes catalog. This house was built in Washington, DC, and shows the house shortly after it was finished.

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This line drawning from the 1921 catalog shows the

This line drawing from the 1921 catalog shows those two bay windows on the side.

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This was described as a "snowy white kitchen de Lux." For its time, this really was a very modern kitchen. Notice the "good morning stairs" too the right, and the handy little stool under the sink. According to a 1928 Sears Modern Homes catalog, the "average woman spends 3/4ths of her day in the kitchen." So maybe that's why she got a hard metal stool to sit on at the sink?

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"Judge for yourself how attractive, bright and sanitary we have made this home for the housewife." And a "swinging seat"! I guess that's a desperate attempt to make kitchen work seem more recreational, and less like drudge work.

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An “exploded view” shows the home’s interior. That baby-grand piano looks mighty small!

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Check out that bathtub on the rear of the house. And that's a sleeping porch in the upper right. Again, that furniture looks mighty small.

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As you can see from the picture (1921), this was a fine home!

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Be still my quivering heart! And it's right on Virginia Beach Boulevard!

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A view from the side, showing off those bay windows.

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The PVC fish scales over the porch are a pity (and do a fine job of hiding the beautiful fan light), and the badly crimped aluminum trim on that porch roof doesn't look too good, and the wrought-iron is a disappointment, but (and this is a big but), at least it's still standing.

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The porch, in its pre-aluminum siding salesmen and pre-wrought-iron and pre-PVC state.

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A comparison of the Martha Washington in DC with the house in Norfolk!

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And heres a Martha Washington in Cincinnatti, Ohio.

And here's a Martha Washington in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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To learn more about the Martha Washington, click here.

To learn more about biscuits, click here.

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Categories: Uncategorized Tags: 12000 piece kit, aladdin house, aladdin kit homes, cincinnatti ohio, craftsman bungalows, dutch colonal, dutch colonial homes, everything you wanted to know, four good sized bedrooms, Ham Radio, homart house, houses by mail, houses by seasr, kit homes in cincinnati, kit homes in cincinnatti, kit homes in ohio, kit house, kit houses, learn more about sears homes, mail order, mail order homes in chicag, mail order house, martha and george, martha house, martha washington, martha washington in norfolk, milton crum, norfolk kit houses, norfolk virginia, Rose Thornton, rosemary and her sears homes, rosemary fuller thornton, Rosemary Thornton, sears and roebuck, sears and roebuck homes, sears craftsman, sears craftsmen, sears dutch colonial, Sears Homes, sears homes in dc, sears honor bilt, sears honor built, Sears house, sears house in Norfolk, Sears kit Homes, sears kit homes in norfolk, sears kit houses, sears precut, sears prefab, sears prefab homes, sears prefab house, sears prefabricated houses, sunporch, sunporches, the alhambra, the houses that sears built, the sears homes of dc, the sears homes of illinois, the sears homes of northern illinois, the sears homes of ohio, the sears house, those dandy houses

Search Results

Alhambra Abuse

Next Stop, Waynesboro?

They Were So Sure It Was a Sears Home! (in Staunton)

Staunton, Virginia: More Amazing Finds

The Bellewood: A Happy Combination!

The Ferndale: A Charming English Bungalow

Staunton, Virginia - Here I Come! (May 2nd)

A Supersized Aladdin Villa in Bartlesville, Oklahoma!

It’s People Like John P. Waters That Confuse Us Historians 100 Years Later.

Sometimes, They’re Hiding Right By Your Biscuits…

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