The Rarest of Sears Homes
When I was in the Chicago area this Spring, I spent a few days with my friend Rebecca Hunter. After tooling around town looking at lots and lots of Sears Homes, we sat down in her beautiful dining room and made a list of the Sears Homes that neither one of us had ever seen.
It’s been my experience that the 60 most popular Sears Homes represented about 90% of their sales. Over and over again, we see the same designs, the Mitchells and Lynnhavens and Gladstones and Craftons and Argyles, etc. Sears offered 370 designs of Sears Homes, and of those 370 designs, there are 108 designs that neither Rebecca nor I have ever seen. This is quite remarkable, as the two of us have seen something approaching 10,000 Sears Homes. That’s a lot of Sears Homes.
Dale Wolicki says that it’s likely that some of these designs were never sold or built. In other words, they never went beyond being pictures in a catalog. He’s probably right.
For those Sears Homes aficionados, here is the list of Sears Homes that neither Rebecca or I have ever seen:
Adams
Adeline
Alden
Almo
Amhert
Amhurst
Amsterdam
Arcadia
Atlanta
Bayside
Branford
Bristol
Cambria
Canton
Carlton
Chesterfield
Chicora
Cleveland
Coateshead
Colebrook
Corning
Corrington
Croydon
Dartmouth
Durham
Estes
Fairfield
Fulton
Gainsboro
Glen View
Hamptshire
Harmony
Harmony
Hopeland
Kenfield
Laurel
Lenox
Letona
Lorne
Malden
Marquette
Melrose
Milford
Millerton
Model # 141
Model #104
Model #107
Model #116
Model #122
Model #130
Model #134
Model #136
Model #139
Model #143
Model #157
Model #158
Model #159
Model #165
Model #166
Model #175
Model #176
Model #177
Model #182
Model #183
Model #191
Model #195
Model #198
Model #199
Model #202
Model #204
Model #216
Model #228
Model #241
Model #264P159a
Model #264P206
Model #264P207
Model #264P243
Model #264P252
Model #36
Model #59
Model #64
Model #70
Model #C2001
Nantucket
Natoma
Nipigon
Norwich
Oxford
Pennsgrove
Portsmouth
Seagrove
Sheffield
Sherwood
Silverdale
Spaulding
Springwood
Stone Ridge
Sunny Dell
Tarryton
Torrington
Trenton
Valley
Vanita
Verndale
Vinemont
Wareham
Warren
Webster
Below are some photos of Sears Homes from my recent trip to Illinois:
Sears Osborn in St. Charles, Illinois
Sears Newcastle in northern Illinois
Sears Matoka in St. Charles
Sears Fullerton in Elgin, Illinois
Sears Del Rey in Wheaton, Illinois
Sears Marina (2024) in West Chicago
Sears Kilbourne in Lynchburg, Virginia
Sears Glenn Falls in Christianburg, Virginia
Sears Americus in Roanoke, Virginia
Sears Martha Washington in Bedford, Virginia
Hi,
I know this is not in your area, but there IS a Sears Chesterfield in Clawson, Michigan. if you look at the galleries on our website, I have a photo of it. So at least one of them was built - Its the only one I have ever seen.
Dear Rosemary,
I am the research editor at Country Living magazine - I believe we spoke briefly several years ago - and I’m wondering if you know where to find images of the Modern Home models from the 1911 catalog.
In particular I wanted to know what model 116 looks like. I’m trying to confirm the provenance of a 1911 house in Yakima, WA, that is supposed to be Sears. I wonder whether it might be a Whitehall (rather altered), or maybe the model 116 - it has a certain similarity to the model 115 and I thought, maybe…this could have been the next model. I would be happy to send you a photo or two if you’re interested. 1120 S 17th Ave Yakima WA.
Cheers,
Jy
Hi,
I just came across this blog post when researching sears homes. I noticed that you hadn’t ever found a model 122 home. Supposedly a home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is one of that model. Here is a link to a recent real estate listing of this home. It is a registered historic landmark. I don’t know if the claim is true that it is a model 122, but thought I would mention it to let you look into.
@Elizabeth
http://www.trulia.com/property/3002444667-24-N-Middle-St-Cape-Girardeau-MO-63701
Sorry, here is the link
Apparently there is a 1925 Sears Craftsman Natoma house for sale in Butte Montana. I am looking at homes in the area and came across it. I can’t confirm whether it is or not, but it is listed as such. here’s a link. Hope that helps. =)
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1337-Evans-Ave_Butte_MT_59701_M82749-63737?row=10
Dear Rosemary,
There is a Springwood in the museum village on Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida near Fort Myers. I have your books, saw this home, and knew I wanted to communicate this to you. I’m glad I found this web site! The Springwood has even been restored to near original condition. If you want I can probably get pictures. It’s amazing.
Yes, please check your email and send me some photos of your Springwod!!!
I own a Laurel model Sears home if you’re interested. I live in Phoenixville, PA.