The Aladdin Georgia as seen in the 1919 Catalog.

Aladdin Georgia was offered in two sizes, with two floorplans.

Floorplan #2 was two feet longer and two feet wider.

In the mid-1910s, Aladdin built a "Georgia" in Bay City, documenting the progress day by day. The house was "move-in ready" in about 20 days. These were the days before portable saws, and for a small-time or novice homebuilder, the average two-bedroom bungalow would require more than 4,000 cuts with a hand-saw. (The electric portable saw was first marketed in the early 1920s.) Pre-cut lumber presented a huge savings in time and effort. To have a house ready for occupancy 20 days after construction began (not including foundation work) was a remarkable achievement.

The photographic record of the fast-built Georgia (about 1915).

Note, this house was framed using platform construction, NOT balloon! And the foundation was not included in the "built in 20 days" time-frame. Note the shingles in the foreground.

According to accompanying text, the carpentry work (framing in and sheathing) was done by one carpenter with two helpers. By day two, the house is framed in!

By the fifth day, it's taking shape.

On the 7th day, the two workers saw all that they had done and they were very pleased. Note, the guy on the scaffolding is taking a smoke break.

Day eleven has arrived and it's looking substantially done (exterior).

Twenty days later, it's complete, inside and out.

Finis!

Oh my goodness! There's the house in Jacksonville! What a dreamie house! And it's in such wonderful condition! Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Oh baby! Excuse me, haven't I seen you somewhere before, like a glossy magazine featuring the most beautiful bungalows in America? Where have you been all my life? Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Nice comparison of the subject house and the vintage image. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And the home's owner was kind enough to supply some photos of the home's interior. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

It's a house filled with windows and light. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

From the living room, looking into the dining room. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

This fireplace is in the dining room, and those narrow cabinets are actually pass-throughs to the kitchen. Photo is copyright 2013 Tracy Greene and Bethany Pruitt and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

What a house!

First, my favorite. This is the Sears Alhambra, a hugely popular house for Sears - and a beautiful one too. Shown here from the 1919 Sears Modern Home catalog.

Be still my quivering heart. The Alhambra that Linda Ramsey found in Waynesboro! And it's in brick! And it's also perfect in every detail! Photo is copyright 2013 Linda Ramsey and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Oh yeah! What a perfect match!!! Oh my goodness!!

Linda also found a Conway/Uriel. (This popular model was known by both names.)

And what a fine Conway it is! And in wonderfully original condition! Photo is copyright 2013 Linda Ramsey and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Last but not least, she also found a second Collingwood.

Again, a very nice match to the original catalog image! Photo is copyright 2013 Linda Ramsey and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And here's a picture of the other Collingwood I found in Waynesboro.

One of my favorite finds in Waynesboro was the Del Rey!

Again, it's in PERFECT condition! Wow. Just WOW!

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).

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

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

Here are the cities where three 264P165s were built.

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!

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.

Sears Crescent, as seen in the 1929 Modern Homes catalog.

"Interior Views" of the Crescent (1929).

Close-up of the Crescent's kitchen (1929).

Nice looking living room, too!

The bedrooms weren't' this big but why let details get in the way of a nice story?

The Crescent was offered with two floorplans, C33258A (shown here).

And this C3259A (the larger floorplan). Note it has THREE columns on the front porch.

Adding a couple dormers (on the front) to the optional "finished" second floor would have created a lot more space. The finished second floor was only offered with the smaller Crescent. But that does not mean that someone couldn't finish off the 2nd floor on their own!

Glen Ellyn (Illinois) has a Crescent with three dormer windows.

This dormered Crescent is in Ypsilanti. Photo is copyright 2013 Andrew and Wendy Mutch and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

In Ypsilanti, they like their Crescents with dormers! Photo is copyright 2013 Andrew and Wendy Mutch and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

A sad little Crescent waits for death in Godfrey, IL. Again, note the unique angle of the porch roof. This has also been authenticated as a Sears Home.

A picture-perfect Crescent in Raleigh. The dormers were original to the house.

Some Crescents have very steep porch roofs and some have very shallow. This Crescent in West Point has been authenticated by Rose as the real deal.

This Crescent look-a-like is in Atlanta. I suspect it is NOT a Crescent.

A Sears Crescent in Wheaton, IL.

Hubby and I found this Crescent on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Is this a Sears Crescent? It's in Elmhurst IL.

This poor Crescent in Elgin, IL has had a hurting put on it. Rebecca Hunter has authenticated this house as a Sears Crescent.

It's been remodeled, but you can still see it's a Crescent. (Elgin, Illinois)

This Crescent is also in Elgin, IL.

Elgin Illinois has the largest known collection of Sears Homes in the country. They have a lot of Sears Crescents, too!

Not surprisingly, the Chicago suburbs are full of Sears Homes. This one is in Crystal Lake.

Another beautiful Crescent. This one is in Champaign, IL.

I stalked this house for 30 solid minutes, but the young woman on the porch never did hang up the phone, so in desperation, I snapped a photo of the house, phone caller and all. This beauty is in Charlotte, NC.

A perfect Crescent in Charlotte, NC.

This Crescent also has the less-steep pitch on the porch roof, but it's most likely a Sears Crescent. Notice the medallion inside the front porch (on the wall).

This photo was taken in 2003 (and it was scanned from an old slide) and it's in Bloomington, IL.

Is this a Crescent? The pitch of the porch roof is much less than that of the traditional porch roof in other Crescents, but I'd be inclined to say it probably is a Crescent. This house is in Wood River, Illinois.

This Crescent has a dramatically raised second floor. To compensate for the extra steep pitch of the roof, the porch roof was also raised a bit. This beauty is in Alton, Illinois.

Yet another dormered Crescent is in Ypsilanti. Photo is copyright 2013 Andrew and Wendy Mutch and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

A beautiful and well-loved Crescent in Webster Groves, MO (near St. Louis). Again, look at the variation on the pitch of that porch roof, and yet this is an authenticated Sears Home.

Now this house has some dormers! It's in Illinois, and was discovered by Rebecca Hunter. Photo is copyright 2013 Rebecca Hunter and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Crescent was a perennial favorite and was offered from 1919 to 1933. It's shown here in the 1933 Sears Modern Homes catalog.

Aladdin (based in Bay City, Michigan) sold kit homes through mail order. This is my favorite graphic from their catalog (1919).

The Stanhope was one of Aladdin's most popular little houses.

It had three bedrooms, but it was a very small house.

The catalog page featuring the Stanhope, as it appeared in 1919.

"Are you not pleased with the Stanhope?"

Aladdin was famous for their "Dollar a Knot" guarantee.

The Stanhope can be tough to identify because it looks like every little early 20th Century bungalow and is rather nondescript.

And yet, they can be identified if they're in original condition. Here's a perfect Stanhope in Scotland Neck, NC (near Roanoke Rapids).

Nice match, isn't it?

And here's one in Norfolk, Virginia. This house is very close to ODU, and is on 51st Street. It's a perfect example of the Aladdin Stanhope and one of my favorite finds!

Should I start with my favorite? Above is a picture of the Sears Sherburne, from the 1921 Building Materials catalog. It was a spacious, grand house and I've not seen many of these.

And here it is, looking much like it did when built in the late 1910s or early 1920s. What a house! And it came from a kit!

And despite this being a fairly rare model of Sears Kit House, I found a second one, within a few blocks of the first house! And it's also a real beauty! Notice the dramatic cornice returns extending well over the front porch area.

The big surprise of this excursion was this house, the Sears Avalon. This was another unusually fine and somewhat hard-to-find kit house offered by Sears. Prior to Richmond, I'd only seen maybe five Avalons throughout the country. And yet, in Richmond, I found FIVE within one seven-block area. FIVE Avalons! What in the world??

Here's another view of the Avalon from the 1921 catalog. Notice the three square vents on the gabled porch roof (far left) and the small indent in the chimney. Also notice the small attic window over the porch. See how the porch columns are mostly masonry with a little bit of wooden column? These are all distinctive features.

And the floor plans could be "reversed," to take advantage of better lighting on the site.

Wow. Just wow. One of the most perfect Sears Avalons, right here in Richmond. Wow.

Avalon #2 was on Semmes Avenue, near 30th Street. This house also has those three vents on the gabled end of the porch. In that this house has stucco, the porch columns were a little different, but that's a minor alteration and not significant in identifying this as an Avalon.

Avalon #3. I'm very happy that Richmond has so many Avalons that they're to be numbered for identification. This was also retains its original railings.

How cool! Pretty amazing, isn't it!

Avalon #4. Turns out, most of these Avalons face due West, so I was photographing right into the morning sun. Some of these pictures aren't the best, but one has to do what one has to do! This house was on Riverside Drive. That's my hand at the upper left, trying to behave like a sun shield.

Avalon #5. Despite its modifications and alterations, I'm fairly confident that this is a Sears Avalon. The roof has been raised, giving it a higher pitch, and creating a small indented space in front of that attic window, but if you look at the details, you can see this looks like a Sears Avalon. Unfortunately due to sidewalk construction, I was not able to get a better photo.

But there's still more. This is a Sears Montrose as seen in the 1928 catalog.

Several unusual features around the front door give this house its distinctive appearance.

Is this a Sears Montrose on Roanoke Avenue? It's pretty close. Look at the pent roof that continues around that sunporch. And look at the details around the front porch.

The Sears Maywood was one of their finer homes.

This appears to be a Sears Maywood, tucked away behind the trees.

The Sears Westly was a very popular house for Sears.

And you've got a lovely Westly in Richmond!

This was an interesting find: An older Sears House (pre-1916). This was model #190.

And such a nice example!

The Sears Strathmore has always been one of my favorites!

And here's another perfect example of it!

In addition to Sears, there were six other companies selling kit homes on a national level. One of them was Harris Brothers. They were based in Chicago and a much smaller company than Sears, so imagine my surprise at finding a HB house in Richmond! This is Harris Brothers Model J-161 (1920 catalog).

Nice match, isn't it!

One of the more popular houses offered by Harris Brothers was this house, Model N-1000.

Is this the N-1000 (shown above)? It's certainly a possibility. Although not visible in this photo, this house has the rounded front porch, as seen on the floorplan in the catalog image above.

Another national kit home company was Gordon Van Tine. They were probably almost as big as Sears. Here's a picture of the Gordon Van Tine Home #507.

And here's a perfect representation of #507. Gosh, what a fine-looking house. Photo is copyright 2010, Taber Andrew Bain and may not be used or reproduced.

The Sears Preston was one of Sears biggest and fanciest homes. It's shown here in the 1921 catalog. Note the price. The Preston was second only to the Magnolia in terms of price and grandeur. The Sears Magnolia was the most expensive house that Sears offered.

Close-up of the Preston's dining room.

Notice the detail on the living room fireplace. This is a classic design for a "Sears" fireplace.

This was the only house Sears offered with an optional wall safe. I see some Federal Reserve notes on the bottom, but what's in the top shelf?

The Preston also had a built-in breakfast nook.

The floorplan shows the massive rooms. The living room was 27' long. That's a big room.

Upstairs had four modest bedrooms and a sleeping porch.

It really was (and is) a beautiful home.

And here's the house that Pete Sanders fell in love with in Berkley, Michigan. The dormers were removed and the front entry was remodeled sometime in the early 1930s. Photo is copyright 2012 Judy Davids and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Incredibly, Pete has some vintage photos of the house. This photo shows the house with the original dormers and entry-way. Even the flower boxes are in place. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

This shot shows a cute little kid on a big bike and also the home's original entryway. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And the home's rear. One of the unique features of the Preston was that it was one of only FIVE models that Sears offered with functional shutters. (In addition to The Preston, the other Sears Homes with real shutters were The Puritan, The Lexington, Martha Washington and The Verona.) The other Sears Homes had decorative shutters that were permanently affixed to the wall. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And a wonderful photo showing a picture-perfect picket fence for a perfect and pretty Preston. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Close-up of the house. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Another view of the house, post-entry-way remodel. The dormers were removed when the entry-way was squared off. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Another view of the house, showcasing that incredible fence. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Baldwins owned the home in the 1930s. Judging from this photo, they didn't have the official Sears fireplace (shown above). You can see a piece of the original built-in bookcases behind Father's left shoulder. Ernest R. Baldwin (seated) was the mayor of Berkley from 1932 to 1944. Those were tough years to be a mayor of any town. Florence Church Baldwin is seated beside him. Also pictured are their two sons, Robert and James. Ernest R. Baldwin was a veteran from The Great War. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Pete really scored a bonanza with these photos of the home's interior. This is the living room, adjoining the entry hall. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And check out the bedroom! What a perfect picture, encapsulating the furnishings and lifestyles of the early 1930s. Photo is courtesy of Pete Sanders and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Preston is a very rare Sears kit home, but Catarina Bannier found one in the Washington DC area. Photo is copyright 2012 Catarina Bannier and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And I found this one in Wyoming, Ohio in 2003.

It is indeed a real beauty.

The Sears Willard was the house featured in a promotion showcasing affordable monthly payments. It's a darling house, and the payments aren't too bad either.

The Sears Willard, as seen in the 1928 catalog.

Think you may have a Willard? Won't be hard to figure out if you can get inside! Look at the many unique features on this floorplan!

It is a darling house!

In all my house-hunting career, I've never photographed a Sears Willard from the right angle. Something in my muscle memory demands that I take the photo from THIS angle. Nonetheless, you can see a few of those distinctive features from this angle. Notice the three windows in a row on the right side, and the dainty cornice return. Also notice the nine lites (windows) in the front door. This brick Willard is in Colonial Heights, VA.

This house is photographed from the correct angle, but it's not my photo. This Willard is in Bowling Green, Ohio and the photo was taken by Dale Patrick Wolicki (copyright 2010, and can not be reprinted or used without written permission).

This Willard was not photographed by me, but you can see that Rebecca Hunter (the photographer) has the same problem with muscle memory that I do. (Photo is copyright 2010 Rebecca Hunter and can not be reprinted or used without written permission). We just yearn to photograph this house from the three-window side.

Galax, Virginia is a fun little town with lots of rolling hills which makes photography a bit challenging. Lots of utility wires in this photo, but it's definitely a Willard (with a modified dormer) in Galax. Unfortunately, as built, that dormer (with a flat roof in front of the dormer window) leaks like a sieve, so people often build out the dormer to enclose that flat spot.

One fine little Willard in Peoria, Illinois. Again, from the wrong angle.

Here's the lone Willard photo I have taken from the correct angle. It's in Crystal Lake, IL.

And another fine Willard in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Look at the angle. Sigh.

Does this look like a Sears House to you? Didn't look like one to me at first, but it sure is! It's the venerable 264P202, and judging by the photos below, it's a design that you should memorize, because it was apparently fairly common! This one is in Benld, IL.

The original catalog page (1916) shows that this house sold for $1,165 and by 1917, it was gone. In 1918, Sears Homes were given names instead of numbers. The 264P202 never had a name, so we know it was gone by 1918.

This wonderful example of a 264P202 is in Okawville, IL. Look at the detail on the columns! It's a real beauty in original condition, but...

A broader view shows that this old house has been converted into a Funeral Home, and that brick ranch globbed onto the side is actually a not-so-sensitive addition.

This 264P202 is in West Chicago. Of the four examples shown on this page, three of these homes have porte cocheres.

Close-up of the original catalog image (1916).

Here's one in Searcy, Arkansas that is being offered for sale at $128,000. In the listing, this house is described as "One of the last Sears Roebuck houses left in White County."

The house in Searcy has a bathroom that's in beautifully original condition. Left is the 1916 Modern Homes catalog. Right side is the house in Searcy.

Nice floor plan.

Massive cornice returns, clipped gables and the three windows on the home's front make the Flossmoor an easy house to identify (1920).

This Flossmoor was built in Evansville, Indiana and was featured in the 1919 Modern Homes catalog. Is it still standing? Do the owners know what they have?

Mr. F. M. Hills of Evansville, Indiana shouldn't be too hard to find! :)

According to the text in the 1920 catalog, The Flossmoor was also built in these cities. Notice there's supposedly one in New York City!

Look at the size of that reception hall! Also, note the "good morning" stairs.

The floorplan was quite simple. A small hallway makes maximum use of the small footprint. Squeezing four small bedrooms out of this floorplan is pretty impressive.

Nice house, isn't it? Another feature is that unusually small attic window.

And here's the real life example in Batavia, Illinois. Be still my heart.