Craftsman Style Bungalow | Sears Modern Homes

The Sunlight in Springfield!

January 31st, 2013 Sears Homes 1 comment

In today’s real estate market, a house with a mere 768 square foot would be considered pretty small, but in the 1920s, it proved to be a very popular size. The Sears Sunlight had two diminutive bedrooms (12-feet by 10-feet) and a bathroom that was a mere 6-feet square.

An “expandable attic” was its saving grace. There was a little bit of room on the second floor to add an extra bedroom or two (for short people).

The Sunlight is a hard house to identify because it’s small and - frankly - it looks like every other tiny bungalow that was built in the early 1900s.

I’ve never identified one on my own, but Cindy Catanzara and Rebecca Hunter seem to be old pros at finding these little houses!

One distinctive feature is the small clipped gable on the front and rear, and the hipped roof on the front porch, which juts out a bit beyond than the primary exterior walls. Another visual clue is the small enclosed space on the rear, but that often disappears after some remodeling.

Many thanks to Cindy Catanzaro for supplying so many wonderful photos of Sunlights in Springfield, Ohio!

The Sunlight, as seen in the 1928 catalog.

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Look at the size of those bedrooms!

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The Sunlight (1928).

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When I was in Elgin, Illinois in February 2010, Rebecca Hunter drove me out to this house and said, "Are you ready to see the most perfect Sunlight in the world?" It is in pristine condition and has been painstakingly restored. The homeowners have the original blueprints.

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Another view of the perfect Sunlight in Elgin, IL.

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Rebecca then drove me out to this Sunlight in Crystal Lake, Illinois. It's also in very good condition.

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Cindy Catanzaro found this Sunlight in Springfield, Ohio. It's had some alterations, but is still identifiable as a Sunlight. Photo is copyright 2012 Cindy Catanzaro and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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This is an older picture showing a pretty little Sunlight that was feeling forlorn and forgotten. I'm happy to report that this home is now in the hands of a happy family who truly values the home's unique, historical origins. Photo is copyright 2012 Cindy Catanzaro and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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Same house as shown above, this Sunlight is already starting to feel loved and cared for, thanks to its new owners! Photo is copyright 2012 Cindy Catanzaro and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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And you might notice that this Sunlight has had an addition put on the back. As originally built, it had a mere 768 square feet. Photo is copyright 2012 Cindy Catanzaro and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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Why did the bungalow become so popular so fast? Click here to read a fascinating bit of history.

To see more pictures of Sears Homes in Ohio, click here.

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Categories: Uncategorized Tags: 12000 pieces, 75 page instruction, bengali, bungalow, bungalow crazy, bungalows, california bungalow, cindy catanzaro, cindy catanzaro springfield, clipped gable, craftsman style, craftsman style bungalow, crazy about bungalows, everyman's house, honor bilt, honor built, little house, pre-cut kits, pre-cut Sears, precut, precut vs. prefab, prefab, prefab houses, rocket avenue, Rose Thornton, Rosemary Thornton, sears bungalows, Sears Homes, sears kits, springfield, springfield and sears homes, springfield bungalows, springfield Il, springfield OH, springfield ohio, springfield sears homes, springfield's old houses, sunlight, sunlight kit, sunlight kit home, sunlihgt, the bungalow craze, the history of the bungalow, the houses that sears built, the little house, the old houses of springfield, the tiny house, wardway homes, wardway houses, what is a clipped gable, why I love bungalows, why I love little houses

Cooking - Off the Grid!

November 24th, 2012 Sears Homes 3 comments

As has become our annual tradition, hubby cooked our 18-pound turkey on his Weber Charcoal Grill. It was one of the most delicious birds I’ve ever enjoyed. The best part was that it was cooked 100% “off the grid.”

The charcoal is a no-brainer. Lots of people know how to use charcoal to cook their meat.

But the secret of a well-cooked bird is the rotisserie attachment which spins the meat at a slow speed. This year, the small but powerful rotisserie motor was powered by our new “Solar System,” three 15-watt solar panels which we recently installed at The Ringer Ranch.

These three photovoltaic panels convert the sun’s rays into electricity, which is stored in a 12-volt deep-cycle marine battery. The inverter (shown below) converts the 12-volt system into 120 volts, suitable for household use.

To learn more about how we installed these solar panels, click here.

Hubby proudly points out his delicious turkey spinning on the grill.

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Our three 15-watt solar panels are on top of the shed roof.

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The electrical items (inverter, solar controller and battery) are inside the shed. Notice the orange extension cord coming out of the inverter? That is powering the rotisserie.

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The most amazing part is that the solar panels were charging the battery *faster* than the rotisserie motor was drawing off power. And this was at 8:00 am.

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Safety first. Hubby uses the five-gallon bucket to keep the cords out of the wet dew.

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It was indeed a most splendiferous bird!

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Want a “solar system” of your own? We did it for $351 (total cost). To buy your own, click here.

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To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

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To read about a very happy Thanksgiving in 1918, click here.

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A Very Presidential House: The Garfield

November 5th, 2012 Sears Homes No comments

Okay boys and girls: What was the remarkable fact of James A. Garfield’s presidency?

Here’s some nice music to get you in the mood for answering questions.

Give up?

Hmmm.

James Abram Garfield became our 20th president on March 4, 1881 and was shot by an assassin on July 2, 1881. He died from his wounds on September 19, 1881. Only one president (William Henry Harrison) had a shorter term as president.

Garfield’s assassin, Charles Guiteau, was a special kind of crazy.

Guiteau’s murder weapon was a .442 Webly caliber British Bulldog revolver, purchased with $15 he’d borrowed from an acquaintance. The large caliber gun was offered with wooden or ivory grips. Giteau chose ivory, because he thought that would look nicer on display in a glass case in a museum.

At Guiteau’s trial, an expert, Dr. Spitzka, testified that Giteau was quite insane.

“Guiteau is not only now insane, but he was never anything else,” Spitzka testified.

He also said that Guiteau was a “moral monstrosity,” and “a morbid egotist, who misinterpreted and overly personalized the real events of life.”

Guiteau was enraged by this “crazy talk.” He believed that he’d ascend to the presidency after Garfield’s death.

Repeatedly ignoring his lawyers’ pleas to keep his mouth shut, Guiteau argued to the judge that it was the “the doctors that killed Garfield. I just shot him.”

There was a wisp of truth in that statement. In all the probing and poking for one of the bullets that had lodged in Garfield’s abdomen, the doctors introduced all manner of germs which in turn caused infections.

President Garfield died two months shy of his 50th birthday. The only other American president to die so young in office was President Kennedy.

To learn more about Giteau, click here.

To see pretty pictures of the Sears Garfield, scroll down.

The Garfield was a two-family house (1928 catalog).

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Pretty distinctive looking with that wide porch and those sturdy columns. Note the unusual window arrangement down the side.

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"A pleasing exterior and modern interior..."

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The Garfield was an upstairs/downstairs duplex.

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The hallways on the far right led to the second floor apartment.

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This is the only Garfield I've ever seen, and it's in Janesville, WI.

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Another view of the Garfield in Janesville.

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Side by side, they're a sweet match!

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To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

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The Kit Homes of Chapel Hill, NC

May 24th, 2012 Sears Homes No comments

Chapel Hill is a city full of hazards for a house hunter such as myself.

First, there are the trees. Lots and lots of mature trees, which makes it difficult to see the houses.

Secondly, there are bushes. Ligustrums, Photinias, Hollies, Nandina and Wax Myrtles are everywhere. And they’re really big, too!

Third, it’s a college town, full of students who think nothing of stepping off the curb in front of a slow-moving Camry. That was just scary.

And last, the streets are very narrow and labyrinthine, winding to and fro.

And that’s how I missed the Ardara (or so I tell myself). There’s a famous Sears House in Chapel Hill, built in the 1920s and still occupied by its original resident! I’d love to get a high-resolution photo of this house, because I never saw it!

Perhaps next time I’m in the area, someone will drive me around. That makes house-hunting much easier!

However, I did see that the town has a “Rosemary Street,” and better yet, of the three kit homes I found, two of them are on Rosemary Street!

Now that’s a fine town!

In North Carolina, I've found far more Aladdin kit homes than Sears. Aladdin (like Sears), sold kit homes through a mail-order catalog. Aladdin had a mill in Wilmington, NC so it's not surprising that there are so many Aladdins in this part of the country.

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The Brentwood (shown above) was one of Aladdin's biggest houses. It's a classic "Arts & Crafts" design, and was offered in the 1910s and 1920s.

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Located on Rosemary Street, this Brentwood is in incredibly beautiful shape. The owners obviously love their home. After discovering this house, I did something that I *never* do anymore. I parked the car and walked up the driveway and knocked on their door. I'm highly allergic to people, and yet, this sweet thing was worth it. No one answered, so I'm hoping if they read this blog, they'll leave a comment. I'd love to see the inside some time. This house is in amazingly original condition and has been beautifully maintained. The owners get my award for "Most Beautiful Aladdin Brentwood in the United States."

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A comparison of the Aladdin Brentwood (catalog image and Chapel Hill house).

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Harris Brothers was yet another kit home company, based in Chicago.

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Due to that darn landscaping, I could not get a good photo but if you look closely at the fireplace chimney, windows and porch overhang, you can see that this is a Harris Brothers N-1000. And it has the rounded porch (as shown in the catalog page).

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The Aladdin Inverness had a very interesting roofline!

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And that roofline makes it easy to identify!

And that distinctive roofline makes it easy to identify! Notice the three brick pillars that just kind of sit there, with no purpose in life (other than serving as a plant stand).

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Also located on Rosemary Street (yay!), this little house is a perfect example of the Aladdin Inverness. Even has the three brick pillars out front! This house is near downtown. I wonder if the folks in Chapel Hill know that it's a kit house?

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Comparison of the two houses. Pretty sweet, huh?

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And the one that got away. Somewhere in Chapel Hill is a Sears Ardara. I'd love to get a photo of this house. I can't believe I missed it!

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

To read about the large collection of Aladdin kit homes in Roanoke Rapids, click here.

Or if you’re tired of reading about houses and want to read about my shiny new horseless carriage, click here.

Did you enjoy the blog? Please leave a comment!

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The Concord: A Modern Residence at a Low Cost

May 22nd, 2012 Sears Homes No comments

Sears offered two models called “The Concord.” The “old” Concord appeared in Sears first “Modern Homes Catalog” (in 1908), and remained in the catalog until at least 1918. In 1918, Sears Modern Homes were - for the first time - identified primarily by name, instead of number.

After all, would you rather have a Sears Modern Home #2049 or a Sears Magnolia? Same house, different words.

The “new” Concord was a post 1930s house, and you can read about it here.

Judging from the testimonials, the (old) Concord was a fairly popular house, and yet in my travels, I’ve only seen one. There are a lot of “look-alikes” to the Sears Concord, but most of them have a side-gabled roof, whereas the Sears Concord has a hipped roof.

To see Rose’s latest book on Sears Homes, click here.

To read about a family that dearly loves (and appreciates) their Sears Concord, click here.

The Concord appeared in the very first Sears Modern Home catalog (1908).

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By 1916, the house had become a real favorite, and of the 20 testimonials that appeared on the back page of the 1916 catalog, three of them were written by people who'd purchased the Sears Concord. This Concord was built by George E. Twiggar of Ossining, NY.

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Here's the text that accompanied the image (above). Note, there's also built at Havre de Grace, MD by Mr. J. H. Howlett.

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This Concord (also known as C114) was built in Roselle Park, NJ.

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It's a shame they didn't include a name here.

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Either these were very fast-growing trees, or he didn't send his snapshot to Sears until years after the house was finished. It's in Norwalk, Ohio.

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"The nicest house in town!"

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This Concord is looking a little rough. It's in Carrollton, IL.

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But wait, there's more! According to the 1916 Sears catalog, the Concord was also built in these cities. As mentioned above, this was apparently a popular house.

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And Mr. Morton built a Sears Concord in Bristol, Virginia, which is about seven hours from my home in Norfolk. Still, I'll have to go check it out some time.

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To read about the other Concord, click right here.

To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

To read the next blog, click here.

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Makes Its Owners Proud: The Argyle

April 13th, 2012 Sears Homes No comments

Probably one of their top-ten best selling models, the Sears Argyle was a quality home in countless ways, but in a very compact package. It was a mere 1,008-square-feet of house, and yet it had a myriad of fine features such as wainscoting topped with plate-rail in the dining room, beamed ceilings in the living room, with bookcase colonnades between the dining and living rooms.

Cabinetry in the colonnades and built-in-bookcases by the fireplace featured leaded-glass doors.

In 1919, it was offered for $1,479 and was an exceptional value (even in 1919 dollars).

In 1916, the Argyle was offered fora mere $881.

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By 1920, the price had jumped a bit to $1,479.

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Notice the wainscoting in the dining room, topped with plate rail. Pretty fancy!

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The living room is equally fancy. Notice the leaded glass in the built-in cabinetry.

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The Argyle bedroom, as seen in the 1921 catalog.

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And the bathroom (as seen in the 1921 catalog).

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The Argyle, as featured in the 1921 catalog.

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Were there any "unhappy" Argyle owners? I hope not! (1921 catalog)

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It was a busy little house, but well laid out (1921). Notice how the porch floor extends a little bit beyond the primary wall? That is a very distinctive feature, and makes it easier to identify the Sears Argyle.

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The Argyle, as seen in the 1920 catalog.

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A *perfect* Sears Argyle in New Baden, IL.

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Another near-perfect Argyle in Nampa, Idaho.

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A nice, but neglected Argyle in Townsend, Virginia (Eastern Shore).

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Not surprisingly, little Cairo Illinois has an abundance of Sears kit homes, including a couple Argyles. There was a mill at Cairo, dedicated to turning trees into kit homes. As is typical of most Argyles, the two closet windows are missing down this side. These often get covered up, or done away it. The advent of lights in every nook and cranny made closet windows unnecessary.

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Awesome Argyle in Raleigh, NC.

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Pretty little Argyle in a not-so-pretty part of Norfolk, VA.

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One of the most screwed-up Argyles in the world. This house is located in an unnamed city in Illinois.

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Argyle in Ocean View (Norfolk, VA).

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Roanoke Rapids (North Carolina) is stuffed full of Aladdin Kit Homes. In fact, they have more than 50 Aladdin Homes in one small section of town. However, they also have a few Sears Homes, such as this Argyle.

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Icky Argyle in Wood River, Illinois.

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And one more Argyle in Raleigh, NC.

To learn more about Sears kit homes, click here.

To learn about how to identify them, click here.

To learn about the family member that I had exhumed, click here.

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A Rare Bird: The Sears Vallonia in Original Condition

April 9th, 2012 Sears Homes 2 comments

There’s a Sears Vallonia in Washington, DC that’s on the market - kind of - but according to local Realtors, they’re having a tough time getting inside the house to show it. I thought I’d help them out by providing a few interior photos of a *real* Vallonia!

These are amongst my favorite photos (slides, actually), because they show a 1928-built Sears Vallonia in original condition - as of 2001. That’s when Rebecca Hunter and I had a chance to tour the inside of this remarkable house in Columbia, Illinois.

As of 2001, one of the home’s original owners and builders (yep, that’s right), had passed on a couple years prior.

Sadly, I’ve forgotten the name of the original homeowner, but she and her husband built the house in 1928, and years after the husband passed on, his widow lived there until her death. When we saw the house, not only was it in original condition, but it was in beautiful shape - as the pictures will show.

So if those folks in DC want to know what their Vallonia looks like on the inside, they can just scroll on down to see the interior of the Vallonia in Columbia, Illinois.

If you want to buy a Sears Vallonia in DC (or any Sears House), click here.

To learn more about kit homes in DC, click here.

From the 1925 Sears Modern Homes Catalog: The Vallonia

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Check out the interiors, as shown in the 1928 catalog.

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Close-up of the original Vallonia bathroom

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And here it is, as of 2001. Notice the floor tile, which is probably original to the house. I wish I'd gotten a photo of that medicine chest! But these are the original plumbing fixtures. And see what a good match they are to the 1928 image above!!

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And the Vallonia bath tub

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And the original "pedestal" tub.

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The kitchen, as seen in 1928.

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And here's the kitchen in 2001. The sink is a spot-on match.

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The original dining room.

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The dining room in the Columbia Vallonia

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And original light fixtures throughout.

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The living room - as seen in 1928.

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And the bedroom.

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The folks in Columbia loved their Sears Homes so much, they turned the risers and treads wrong-side-out, so people would always remember, theirs was a Sears kit home.

The folks in Columbia loved their Sears Homes so much, they turned the risers and treads wrong-side-out (with numbers exposed), so people would always remember, theirs was a Sears kit home. Each riser and tread - all the way up - showed the marked lumber.

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The Sears Vallonia

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And here it is in 2001.

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Side by side comparison

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To learn more about kit homes, click here.

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So, What Did You Learn?

May 21st, 2011 Sears Homes No comments

Mark Twain once said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.”

It was about a year ago today that this website was redone and revamped. I’ve been trying to - systematically and patiently - post a few of the 35,000 photos I’ve taken in the last 10 years of researching kit homes.

Have you enjoyed the site? Have you learned something new from the 200+ posts (and 1000+ photos) that I’ve put here in the last year? Earlier this month, this site had its 100,000th visitor.

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve read, I’d sure be grateful to hear from you. If you’ve learned something wonderful, please tell me, and leave a comment below.

Like Twain, I can live for a couple months on one good compliment.

And in the meantime, I think I’ll take a few days off from blogging and dream about my future life in the mountains. I love the mountains, and one day, I’ll live there.

Valley view of Hightown, Virginia (very near the West Virginia border).

To buy Rose’s book, click here.

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Remarkable Roanoke Rapids: Full of Aladdin Kit Homes

May 17th, 2011 Sears Homes 3 comments

In late 2006, my dear friend Dale Wolicki drove from Michigan to Norfolk, Virginia to watch me get married. After the ceremony, Dale mentioned that after the wedding, he was heading south to Roanoke Rapids, NC to check out a large collection of Aladdin kit homes in that small town. My newly married ears perked right up.

“Large collection?” I asked.

“No don’t go getting any ideas,” he said. “You have to promise me that you’re not going to make your new husband drive you around to look at kit homes on your honeymoon.”

I smiled.

“I mean it,” he continued. “Promise?”

I couldn’t make any such promise.

My husband knew what he’d signed up for when he married me. We went to Roanoke Rapids on the way home from our honeymoon. It was fabulous, and just as Dale had promised, the area was awash in Aladdin Kit Homes.

I returned to Roanoke Rapids several times in the next several years, and took many photos. Eventually, Our State magazine did a feature story on this dazzling array of Aladdins there in Roanoke Rapids.

Below are photos showing a few of the many Aladdins we’ve discovered in Roanoke Rapids.

Aladdin Brentwood

Close up

Aladdin Brentwood (one of two in Roanoke Rapids)

Aladdin Villa from the 1919 catalog

Aladdin Villa on the main drag in Roanoke Rapids. It's a perfect example of the Villa, which was Aladdin's biggest and best model.

Aladdin Colonial, from the 1919 catalog.

One of the best features of Roanoke Rapids is they have three of Aladdin's biggest and best models, such as the Villa, the Brentwood and this house, The Colonial.

Aladdin Sunshine

Perfect Sunshine, slightly obscured by unfortunate placement of utility pole.

Aladdin Rochester

I suspect the house above is an Aladdin Rochester. The details seem right -down to the bumped-out vestibule on the front. The porch has been enlarged a bit, but that's not a major modification.

One of my favorite houses is the Aladdin Pomona

And this is one of my favorite Pomonas - right on the rail road tracks - and in PERFECT condition!

From the 1919 catalog.

Roanoke Rapids has several blocks of these modest "worker's cottages," alternating the Aladdin Herford (above) with the Aladdin Edison (a couple pictures below). The streets are filled with these two styles of homes. The house above is for sale, but I'm guessing it needs a new central air unit.

Another Herford. In this image, it was the photographer that was slightly tilted. The house was fine.

Aladdin Edison

The Edison was an incredibly modest house, as you can see from this close-up of the floorplan.

Aladdin Edison in the flesh! How 'bout those icicle lights!

Aladdin Edison - close-up

Aladdin Edison. As you can see, some of these houses need a little love.

In better shape, but it's a pity that its dormer windows were obliterated.

Another Edison in Roanoke Rapids

Aladdin Marsden

Perfect Marsden in Roanoke Rapids.

Aladdin Plaza

Another perfect Aladdin: The Plaza

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

To buy Rose’s book, click here.

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Breakfast Nooks, Part II

January 29th, 2011 Sears Homes No comments

Judging by the traffic to this website, there’s a lot of interest in built-in breakfast nooks these days, and for good reason. They’re practical, useful, attractive, and make excellent use of a small space. As the 1933 Montgomery Ward hardware catalog promised, it’s like adding “a whole new room” to the house.

Okay, that may be a wee bit of a stretch, but the built-in breakfast nook - very popular in early 20th Century kit homes (such as those from Sears and Wards) - is a grand idea whose time has come. Again!

The McMansion has fallen from favor and as we baby boomers get older, a rising trend is more compact, easier-to-heat, easier-to-maintain smaller homes. And with smaller homes come smaller kitchens, and better use of space.

Take a look at some of the built-in breakfast nooks that were featured in a variety of magazines, including Ladies Home Journal (1911), Popular Science (1919), Sears Modern Homes catalogs (1920s) and Montgomery Ward catalogs (1920s and 30s).

To read more “Breakfast Nooks, part I” (and see more photos), click here.

To learn more about kit homes, click here.

Cover of the 1932 Montgomery Ward Building Material catalog, which featured breakfast nooks.

A close-up of the built-in breakfast nook featured on the cover of the hardware catalog.

cOn page 34 of the catalog, this "cozy corner dinette" was offered for $14.95. Not a bad deal. And it's made of clear western white pine and needed a small space of 5'6" by 3'8". Nice looking, too.

Another room? Well, maybe. Good-looking nookie, though.

This "cozy dinette" was featured in the Wardway/GVT Modern Homes catalog.

A little scant in terms of detail, but still cute. This little table first appeared in the February 1911 Ladies' Home Journal.

This simple breakfast table was offered with the Sears kit home, The Verona.

The "Pullman Breakfast Alcove" came with your Sears Ashmore. More modest than the others, it has simple benches with no seat backs.

The image below appeared in the June 1919 issue of Popular Mechanics and provided the ultimate space saver. By day, it was a cute little trestle table with matching benches. By night, it was an extra sleeping space for your overnight guests.

Easy to make and simple to use, this "convertible" breakfast table provided extra sleeping space for visitors.

As seen in the 1919 Popular Mechanics, this breakfast nook could be folded out into a bed. Overnight Guests - it's what's for dinner!

And the real deal - in the flesh - a 1930s breakfast nook as seen in the Sears Lynnhaven in southern Illinois.

Awesome rooster towels not included.

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The Sunlight in Springfield!

Cooking - Off the Grid!

A Very Presidential House: The Garfield

The Kit Homes of Chapel Hill, NC

The Concord: A Modern Residence at a Low Cost

Makes Its Owners Proud: The Argyle

A Rare Bird: The Sears Vallonia in Original Condition

So, What Did You Learn?

Remarkable Roanoke Rapids: Full of Aladdin Kit Homes

Breakfast Nooks, Part II

Buy a Sears Homes Book Now!

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