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The Sears 264P202! What a House!

December 1st, 2012 Sears Homes No comments

Before 1918, Sears Homes were given numbers, not names. From a marketing perspective, it was brilliant to assign names to these models. After all, would you rather tell Mum and Dad that you’re buying “Sears Modern Home #2089″ or that you’ve just purchased The Magnolia?

Pre-1916, some of these houses had very long model numbers, such as the house shown here. It was apparently a fairly popular house for Sears, as I’ve got four real-life examples below, and yet it was offered only for a few short years, appearing last in the 1916 catalog.

Does this look like a Sears House to you? Didnt look like one to me, either, but it is! Its the venerable 264P202, and judging by the photos below, its a design that you should memorize, because it was apparently fairly common!

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.

An interesting aaside: Do you know how Benld got its name? A fellow named Ben L. Dorsey purchased the land foor its rich mineral rights (coal, really) and it was developed into a tiny town. The name “Dorsey” was already taken, so Ben L. Dorsey chose the name “Benld,” a combination of his first name and subsequent initals.

For the flatlander tourist, it might help you to know that it’s pronounced, “Benn-ELD.”

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."

To learn more about “one of the last Sears Roebuck houses in White County,” click here.

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.

To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

To see an abundance of awesome photos of the house in Searcy, click here.

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The Flossmoor: Good Dental Advice or a Sears House?

November 29th, 2012 Sears Homes 4 comments

Or maybe both?

Yes, the Flossmoor was a Sears House that was offered for a short time in the late 1910s. By 1923, it was gone.

The massive cornice returns make it easy to identify. Another eye-catching feature is the clipped gable and the grouping of three windows on the front.

The 1920 Sears Modern Homes catalog promised, “You will like this.” Apparently, that statement was more hopeful than realistic. In my travels, I’ve only see a couple of these unique houses. Is there one in your neighborhood? If so, stop what you’re doing, get a photo and send it to me.

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.

To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

To see more photos of the Sears Homes of Northern Illinois, click here.

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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.

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

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.

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.

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

It was indeed a most splendiferous bird!

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

To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

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

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Categories: Uncategorized Tags: aladdin factory, aladdin kit homes, aladdin kit houses, aladdin marsden, aladdin pomona, aladdin precut, Aladdin sheffield, alddin kit homes, all sears homes, alton, alton il, alvah c. roebuck, alvah roebuck, assassinated, attleboro, bengali, bengali in india, books on bungalows, building a new home, bungalow, bungalow books, bungalow houses, bungalow kits, bungalows from sears, cairo, cairo il, catalog house, cerro gordo, chicago bungalows, city of portsmouth, craftsman bungalows, craftsman homes, craftsman houses, craftsman kit homes, craftsman products from sears, craftsman style, craftsman style and sears, craftsman style bungalow, craftsman tools, crazy guiteau, Dale Wolicki, deaths from diphtheria, details on a bungalow, dining room bay, do I have a sears house, dr. spitzka, duplex, duplex foursquare, duplex kit, duplex kit homes, first growth lumber, flagship station, foursquare, foursquare and a duplex, foursquares, fuller, fuller family, garfield, gordon van time, gordon van tine, gordon van tine homes, guiteau, Ham Radio, ham radio and solar, hampton roads kit homes, hazelton, hazleton, historic homes in alton, historic homes in Portsmouth, historic homes in waterview, history of sears, history press, hoffman estates, homan and arthington, homart appliances, homart homes, honor bilt, honor built, honor built homes, houses by mail, houses for sale in illinois, houses in alton, how to build a house, how to build solar, how to cook with solar, how to have a solar system installed, how to have cheap power with solar, how to have solar, how to identify kit homes, how to install solar, how to salvage wood, illinois bungalows, impeach obama, installing solar power, is nixon living in a kit home, Jim and Tammy, jim and tammy faye, jim and tammy faye baker, jim and tammy faye bakker, kit bungalow, kit homes, kit homes from gordon van tine, kit homes in Alton, kit homes in norfolk, kit houses, kit houses from Sears, kits from gordon van tine, landon wellford, leckie street, leckie street bridge, Lewis Homes, lewis manufacturing, liberty homes, lumber yard houses, magnolia house in cairo, mail order house, mail order kits, mail-order catalog, marks on lumber, mom’s veteran’s benefits, morbig egotist, mother and father are vets, my favorites, nansemond street, Nixon’s first home, norfolk, North Carolina Sears Homes, obama should be impeached, oklahoma kit homes, old houses in portsmouth, orange street in waterview, p-town, parabolic solar, phyllis schaffly, please impeach obama, portsmouth, portsmouth houses, portsmouth kit homes, precut, precut homes, precut houses, precut kit catalog homes, precut kit homes, precut kits, prefab duplex, prefab home, prefab houses, prefab kit, prefabricated houses, prefabricated kits, presdient romney, president mitt romney, realtors in Illinois, realtors in southwestern Illinois, richard warren sears, ridge board, rodessa, rodessas in Illinois, romney will win, Rose Thornton, rosemary fuller, Rosemary Thornton, scotts creek, sears and craftsman, sears and hoffman estates, sears and roebuck, sears attleboro, Sears barns, sears bungalows, sears conway, sears craftsman, Sears Homes, sears homes in america, sears homes of Illinois, sears honor built homes, Sears house, sears house in urbana, sears houses, sears kit, Sears kit Homes, sears kit houses, sears kits, sears mail order, sears montrose, sears roebuck, sears tools, sears uriel, sears wizard, skippy in portsmouth, skippy peanut butter, skippy plant, solar and ham, solar power, solar power in your shed, solar power on the cheap, solar things, solar thunderbolt, southwestern illinois, spitzka, sterling homes, the best houses in portsmouth, the best neighborhoods in portsmouth, the craftsman house, the cute little house, the foursquare duplex, the hazelton, the hazleton, the historic homes of oklahoma, the history of bengali, the houses that sears built, the kit homes of illinois, the lead paint in old houses, the little house, the old Sears Mill, the reasons I love a, the rodessas, the sears homes of illinois, things from mail order, thunderbolt solar, Tom Fuller, Tom thornton, urbana kit home, va loan, Virginia: My Home Town Sears Homes Uncategorized 700 Club, Waterview, waterview history, WAVES, why I love Sears, why was Sears so popular, william henry harrison, wilmington and aladdin, wreck of the old 97, WYAH in Portsmouth, WYAH on Spratley Street

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).

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

"A pleasing exterior and modern interior..."

The Garfield was an upstairs/downstairs duplex.

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

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

Another view of the Garfield in Janesville.

Side by side, they're a sweet match!

To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

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Where Art Thou Hamilton?

September 16th, 2012 Sears Homes 2 comments

When Dale and I visited Bedford, Virginia in 2008, we drove around for some time, striving to find the Sears Hamilton that (according to the Sears catalog) had been built there in the mid-1910s.

Dale drove slowly and methodically throughout the county (and the city) while I scoured the landscape for any foursquares with a hipped roof.

We found many kit homes along the way, but we never found our Hamilton.

On my various hard drives, I have about 35,000 photos and yet I don’t have any photos of a real live Sears Hamilton.

If anyone has a photo to share, I’d be very grateful to receive it.

As a side note, The Hamilton was also the name Sears gave to a modest bungalow with clipped gables (circa 1930s). The Hamilton I’m looking for is a large foursquare.

Sears Hamilton, as seen in the 1916 catalog.

By 1916, this had already become a popular house! But where are they now?

Nice floorplan, too.

The house has several distinctive features. Note the inset back porch which extends the full length of the long kitchen. Also noticed the 4/1 windows on the front. The one side (right side above) extends significant further than the left side.

Close-up on that back porch.

The Hamilton was also offered as a wee tiny kit house for model railroads.

In the 1980s, the Sears Hamilton was also offered by "Spectrum" as a wee tiny kit house for HO model railroads. And this one has only 172 pieces! Notice that it's a little different from the house above? That's because they modeled it after the 1908 design. In 2001, I purchased and built this small model house. It took some time, but it was worth the effort because finally, I'd have my very own "Sears kit House." Sadly, it was lost in "The Great Divide" (divorce).

Here's the Hamilton as seen in the 1908 catalog. It's a perfect match to the model above and slightly different from the 1916 version. The dormers in the 1908 house are shed dormers, and in 1916, they were hipped. The front center window (second floor) has diamond muntins in 1908.

So where are our Hamiltons? I don’t know, but I’d love to find out, and I’d love to have a photo!

To read about the Sears Homes in Roanoke, click here.

To read the most recent blog, click here.

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Do You Have 60 Seconds to Save a Sears House? (Part IV)

August 7th, 2012 Sears Homes 6 comments

I’m saddened to report that the demolition of the Pop Culture House at Bowling Green State University is apparently going forward.

Yesterday (August 6th) contractors were seen at the site, removing a few windows and some artifacts in preparation of the building’s demolition.

This, despite a truly valiant effort on the part of BGSU staff and faculty and friends to save this house.

This, despite the presentation of a petition with more than 2,100 signatures to BGSU president Mary Ellen Mazey.

The “powers that be” at BGSU apparently prefer that students learn about their history via pricey textbooks and pretty pictures, rather than “hands on.” Given a chance to preserve a piece of true Americana, the college has opted to destroy this “one-of-a-kind” kit house and send hundreds of thousands of pounds of debris to the landfill. (To read about what makes the Pop Culture house truly unique, click here.)

In “The Slate Roof Bible,” author Joseph Jenkins reports that 28% of the volume of debris at landfills is construction and demolition debris.

I’m of the opinion that BGSU should immediately suspend any and all classes related to environmental sciences. They’ve just sent a message - to their community and their students and their staff - declaring boldly that recycling is a dandy plan, but only when it’s really convenient and super easy.

How many pounds of recycled materials does BGSU collect each year and turn over to a recycling center? How many years of recycling bottles and cans will it take to offset the 300,000+ pounds of house they’re sending to the landfills today?

If a person paid attention to behaviors (which are better indices than fancy words), the take-away message from BGSU is, “Recycling is a dandy plan, but only when it’s really convenient and super easy.”

To say that I’m sickened and disgusted by this whole affair would be a gross understatement.

Given the tremendous urgency with which this building has been rushed to demolition, you’d think that the Pop Culture House harbored smallpox, diphtheria, spanish flu, anthrax, polio and the bubonic plague.

It does not.

The biggest sin committed by the Pop Culture House is that it stood in the way of a proposed college expansion. The house had the misfortune of being built on a piece of land that would one day be owned by a college that lacks vision, and also lacks respect for this uniquely American piece of cultural and architectural history.

At the very least, the house should have been moved to another site.

Preliminary estimates placed the cost of moving the house at about $18,000. The cost to demolish the structure is probably not far from the cost to move it.

At the very, very least, the lumber in the house should be salvaged. The quality of building materials (lumber) used in this 1931-built home are the likes of which we will never again see in this country. To read more about that, click here.

Yesterday (August 6th) contractors were seen at the site, removing a few windows and some artifacts in preparation of the building’s demolition.

It’s a sad day for BGSU.

Very sad indeed.

To read more about this house that will soon be nothing but an empty lot, click on the links below.

To read an excellent blog that talks more about the ecological importance of preserving this house, click here.

The Pop Culture House (photographed August 2, 2012). This house was ordered from Montgomery Ward, but was based on a kit home design offered only by Sears Roebuck. The Sears House was the Lewiston.

The Sears Lewiston, as seen in the 1929 Sears catalog.

As of yesterday, workers had begun removing the windows in preparation for demolition. Why the rush? Who knows. What I do know is it is very sad and a great loss for the community. Photo is copyright 2012 Raymond I. Schuck and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Soon all these building materials will be a massive pile of rubble at a landfill somewhere in Ohio. Sickening. Photo is copyright 2012 Raymond I. Schuck and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Those asbestos flakes must be pretty smart if they know that they have to stay behind the red tape.

A picture of the house in happier days. The house was ordered from Montgomery Wards in late 1931. The photo above is early 1932, soon after the home was completed. It was shipped by train and arrived in a boxcar with 12,000 pieces of house. Virgil Taylor was the home's buyer, builder and first owner.

A page from the 1931 Montgomery Ward catalog.

Virgils Wardway home had the Rexford door hardware.

The front door on his neo-tudor was also a classic Wardway design.

A view of Virgils very own front door - from Wards.

Lumber from inside the house shows it was indeed from Montgomery Ward. This reads, "From Montgomery Ward & Co., Davenport, IA." Orders for Montgomery Ward's homes were fulfilled by Gordon Van Tine in Davenport, Iowa. Photo is copyright 2012 Raymond I. Schuck and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Moving a house is better than demolition. This Sears Lynnhaven was moved in the 1980s and is still standing in its new location, home to a very happy family. (Muncie, IN)

To read about the other kit homes in Bowling Green, Ohio (safely out of the reach of BGSU), click here.

To contact BGSU president Mary Ellen Mazey, send her an email: mmazey@bgsu.edu

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The Impressive Array of Kit Homes in Bowling Green, Ohio

August 2nd, 2012 Sears Homes 3 comments

When my dear friend Dale heard the saga about the threatened demolition of the Pop Culture Building (a mail-order kit home) at BGSU, he offered to send me photos of the other kit homes he’d found in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Bowling Green has an impressive array of kit homes, and I’m confident that there are more than we’ve documented below. For instance, in Rebecca Hunter’s book (Putting Sears Homes on the Map), she found that a Sears Argyle was built in Bowling Green in the 1910s or 20s.

Where is it now?

Either Dale didn’t see it (which is possible, as we rarely have time to examine every house on every street), or the Argyle also got in the way of progress, and met a fate similar to what may befall the Sears Lewiston.

Fact is, colleges are notorious bungalow eaters. Seems as though colleges are often positioned in the heart of early 20th Century development, and as they expand and grow, the working-class and middle-class bungalows from the 1910s, 20s and 30s get gobbled up and spit out as landfill rubble.

The Wardway/Sears Lewiston at BGSU is a rarity, and less than 25,000 Wardway Homes were built (from 1909-1932). Even more interesting, based on my research, the Wardway “Lewiston” at BGSU may be the only one of its kind. To learn more about that home’s unique history, click here.

At some point, we need to stop destroying these historically significant homes.

Demolishing old houses is not very environmentally friendly, either. According to “The Slate Roof Bible” (2003, by Joseph Jenkins), 28% of the debris found in landfills is from demolition or remodeling.)

I’m still hopeful that Bowling Green State University will reverse their decision and not send 300,000+ pounds of kit home (sans additions) to the landfill on August 7th.

At the very least, this house should be MOVED and not destroyed.

Special thanks to architectural historian (and co-author) Dale Wolicki for providing the photos of the kit homes in Bowling Green, Ohio.

UPDATED: To read about the realistically smart idea of MOVING the BGSU house, click here.

To sign a petition to help save this house, click here.

Can this house at BSGU be moved? Heck yeah. Here's a Sears Lynnhaven (similar in size to the house at BGSU) rolling down the road to its new location.

The Sears Willard was a popular house. Here's a picture from the 1929 Sears Modern Homes catalog.

Picture-perfect Sears Willard in Bowling Green, Ohio. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Sears Arlington as seen in the 1919 catalog.

Another beautiful Sears House (The Arlington) in Bowling Green. On a side note, Sears Homes were not pre-fab, but pre-cut. There's a big difference. In one of the early reports I saw on the Lewiston kit home at the BGSU campus, it said the house was pre-fab. Not true. These mail-order kit homes from the 1920s and 30s were pre-cut. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Sears Rodessa was a cute, but distinctive house (1921).

Sears Rodessa was a cute, but distinctive bungalow (1921).

The Sears Rodessa in Bowling Green on High Street. You'll notice from the image above, this house is in mostly original condition. This is a rare treat to see these more modest homes unmolested by the asbestos/aluminum/vinyl siding salesmen. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Unless it's sitting at the landfill, there's also a Sears Argyle somewhere in Bowling Green. I'd be grateful if someone in Bowling Green would let me know if they've seen this house - and better yet - get a photo!

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 this house.

And our Sears Lewiston (1930 catalog).

The house at the BGSU campus is so darn interesting, because it's a Sears design, but it was ordered from Montgomery Ward. The school could not possibly have picked a better building for the "Popular Culture" program. Photo is courtesy BGSU Pop Culture House. Yesterday (August 1st), the little house apparently borrowed someone's smart phone and using mirrors and lasers, took a picture of itself. This is one remarkable house. And then, the little house posted its own photo on its own Facebook page.

In addition to the kit homes from Sears and Wards, Bowling Green also has a kit home from Lewis Manufacturing (Bay City, MI). This was also a national kit home company (like Sears and Wards), that sold houses through their mail-order catalogs.

Another pristine example of a kit home in Bowling Green. This is the Lewis San Fernando.

Also from Lewis Manufacturing, this is the Lavitello, a classic bungalow (1924 catalog).

Another beautiful bungalow in excellent condition. And it still has its original casement windows. Man, I love this house. Guess it's a good thing it's located safely away from the bungalow-eating state university? Elsewise, it might be feeling a little "disheveled" and living at the landfill. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Wardway Sheridan was a popular house for Montgomery Ward (1929 catalog).

Another fine-looking Wardway Home in Bowling Green. Soon, it may be the *only* Wardway home in town. :( Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And the amazing Dale Wolicki even found a George Barber (pattern book) house in Bowling Green. Photo is copyright 2012 Dale Patrick Wolicki and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Last but not least, a picture of the house on BGSU campus. The house on the left was taken soon after the house was completed in February/March 1932. House on the right is the Sears Lewiston from the 1929 catalog.

To learn more about the house at BGSU click here.

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: aladdin kit house, bay city kit homes, bgsu, bowling green, bowling green house threatened with demolition, Bowling green kit house, bowling green ohio, bungalow eaters, bungalows, colchester, colleges and bugalows, demolition of sears homes, foursquare, foursquares, homart, homart homes, honor bilt, houses in bowling green, how to move a kit house, joseph jenkins, kit home, kit house, learning from reading, lewis homes of bay city, lewis lavitello, lewis manufacturing, lewis san fernando, mail order house, mary mazey, neo tudor, pop culture, pop culture building, precut, prefab, prefab mail order, prefab vs. precut, prefabricated homes, Rose Thornton, Rosemary Thornton, sears argyle, sears colchester, Sears Homes, sears honor bilt, sears honor built, Sears kit Homes, Sears Lewiston, the bowling green houses, the lewiston, the slate bible, wardway, wardway homes, wardway sheridan

South Carolina, Churlish Chiggers, and Fake Maggies

July 25th, 2012 Sears Homes No comments

Last month, I spent several days traveling in South Carolina. I visited many cities in the northern part of South Carolina but found very few Sears Homes. The highlight of the trip was Anderson, where I found several kit homes from Sterling Homes (a competitor to Sears).

Click here to see photos of those houses.

I did, however, find more than 20 chiggers. Or should I say, they found me. I was in Pumpkintown, SC merrily traipsing through a happy, happy meadow when I picked up Satan’s microscopic hitchhikers.

Suffice it to say, my sufferings in the next few days rivaled that of Job, who used pottery shards to relieve the itch of his sores. (Having endured this misery, I’m now convinced that old Job hisself got into a mess of chiggers.)

But I digress…

During an earlier trip to Blacksburg, South Carolina (February 2011), I’d visited the twin of the Sears Magnolia.

The house in Blacksburg turned out to be a fake Sears Magnolia. And yet, it was so close to the real thing. After spending three days at this fine house, I decided it could not be a Magnolia.

In retrospect, I believe it may have been an early pattern book house, and that the fine folks at Sears discovered this pattern book design and incorporated it into their “Book of Modern Homes,” calling it, The Magnolia.

The house in Blacksburg was built about 1910 (according to tax records), which also fits with my pattern book theory.

This “SCFM” (”South Carolina Faux Maggy”) is four feet wider and four feet longer than the Sears Magnolia, which is interesting (and also fits with the above theory). When Sears “borrowed” patters from other sources, they’d change the dimensions a bit, and in the case of the SCFM, it was a tiny bit too big for Sears purposes, so shrinking the footprint made a lot of sense.

One more interesting detail: The underside of the front porch (eaves) shows that there are ten brackets on the Sears Magnolia. The SCFM has eight brackets. The Magnolia’s dormer has four of these eave brackets. The SCFM has three. These are the kind of details that matter.

I seriously doubt the SCFM is the only one of its kind. Does your town have a fake Magnolia?

To read my favorite blog on the Sears Magnolia, click here. It’s an old carpenter telling about HOW he built a Magnolia in the 1920s.

To read about the sweet ride that carried me to old South Carolina, click here.

The Sears Magnolia, as seen in the 1921 catalog.

And here's the SCFM in Blacksburg. It's NOT a Sears House, but it sure is close.

Really, really close.

I mean, c'mon. You can't get much closer than this. And yet, this is not a Sears Magnolia. Sadly. All the details are just so darn close...

Even has those distinctive marginal lites.

And the porch is a good match, too.

One of the first thigns that caught my eye were these columns. Theyre concrete. The Sears Magnolia had hollow wooden columns (poplar). No kit house is going to come with concrete two-story Corinthian columns. The weight would be enormous. When I saw these columns I knew - this was not a kit home from Sears.

One of the first details that caught my eye were these columns. They're concrete. The Sears Magnolia had hollow wooden columns (poplar). No kit house is going to come with concrete two-story Corinthian columns. The weight would be enormous. When I saw these columns I knew - this was not a kit home from Sears.

Minus the concrete columns, it's still such a good match.

Inside the house, it has a "Magnolia Room"! How apropos!

The citys records show that this house was built in 1910, and those city records are not always right, but in this case, I suspect theyre close. The SCFM had a fireplace in every room and they were coal-burning fireplaces, which was typical for homes built in the first years of the 1900s.

The city's records show that this house was built in 1910, and oftimes, those city records are not always right, but in this case, I suspect they're close. The SCFM had a fireplace in every room and they were coal-burning fireplaces, which was typical for homes built in the first years of the 1900s. The Magnolia had two fireplaces, both wood-burning.

This beautifully decorated house has a massive entry hall, but that's one of the problems. The floorplan for this SCFM is NOT a good match to the Magnolia's floorplan. Plus, the Sears Magnolia had nine-foot ceilings. The ceilings in this house were 10' or more.

The staircase in the real Magnolia is in a different spot. It's much closer to the front of the house, whereas the SCFM's staircase is much further back, and its hallway goes straight back to a rear entry door (unlike the floorplan above).

In the end, I had to boldly declare that this was NOT a Sears Magnolia which made me very sad. However, it did tell me that this was probably a planbook house at some point. Now we just need to figure out WHICH plan book!

Also in Blacksburg, SC I found my favorite Alhambra of all time. Its LAVENDAR!

Also in Blacksburg, SC I found my favorite Alhambra of all time. It's LAVENDER!

If you see this house, send me an email!

Such a beauty - but it's not from Sears.

To contact Rose, leave a comment below.

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The Sears Homes in Somerville, New Jersey

July 9th, 2012 Sears Homes 6 comments

Prior to May 2012, I’d never heard of Somerville, New Jersey.

And then I wrote a blog on the Sears Milton, and on the catalog page that features the Sears Milton, there was a small snippet mentioning that the Milton had also been built in Somerville, New Jersey.

I contacted a few folks in Somerville, and Marge Sullivan was kind enough to respond. Better than just responding, Marge sent photos, too.

In fact, not only did Marge send photos of the Sears Milton, but she also sent photos of several other Sears Homes in Somerville.

For years, I’d suspected that New Jersey was awash in Sears kit homes.

Sears had three mills, and Port Newark (New Jersey) was home to Sears second largest mill. And there were also seven Sears Modern Homes Sales Centers in New Jersey. There were only 40 of these sales centers in the country.

Sears strategically placed sales centers in areas where sales were very strong. Not surprisingly, sales increased in areas that boasted of having a Sears Modern Homes Sales Center.

In New Jersey, their seven sales centers were in Camden, Elizabeth, Hackensack, Long Branch, Newark, Paterson and Plainfield.

To learn more about these unique retail stores, click here.

And perhaps most interesting is that there’s a Sears Altona missing in Somerville. According to the Sears Modern Homes catalog, it was built in Somerville, but folks there are having a tough time finding it.

It may have been demolished or it may have been remodeled beyond all recognition. But we do know that one was built in Somerville, and that L. B. Thatcher was the original builder. If someone in Somerville has access to a city directory, that last name may help in locating the missing Altona.

Many thanks to Marge Sullivan and also to the Somerville Historic Advisory Committee for sharing these wonderful photos!

To learn more about how to identify Sears Homes, click here.

To read about the Sears Milton in Somerville, click here.

Somewhere in Somerville, there's a Sears Altona!

And according to this, it was built by L.B. Thatcher sometime before 1916.

And there's a Sears Milton in Somerville, too.

Thanks to Marge Sullivan and the Somerville Historic Advisory Committee, we know where the Sears Milton is in Somerville! Photo is copyright 2010, Marge Sullivan and Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Sears Arlington, from the 1919 catalog.

And here's a real beauty in Somerville, NJ. This house is such a good match to the catalog page that it makes me swoon! For 90+ years, the asbestos, aluminum and vinyl siding salesmen have been kept at bay! This Arlington retains its original siding, columns and windows. Photo is copyright 2010, Marge Sullivan and Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Sears Carlin (also known as the Windsor) was for "better class workers." I've often wondered what Sears offered for the "lower class workers."

Another beautiful example of a Sears kit home in Somerville, NJ. It's so delightful to see these homes in largely original condition. Photo is copyright 2010, Marge Sullivan and Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And what all-American town doesn't have an Americus?

Actually, there are many "All American Towns" that do not have an Americus within their borders, but Somerville is not one of them. This Americus is a stunner, and even has its original railings. Photo is copyright 2010, Marge Sullivan and Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Cornell (also known as the Davenport) was a non-descript little foursquare, and it was also quite popular. Shown here in the 1928 catalog, it endured to the bitter end, and was also featured in the 1940 catalog.

This Cornell in Somerville is feeling very festive! Photo is copyright 2010, Marge Sullivan and Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Berwyn was another hugely popular house for Sears. Its also easy to find with that double-arched entry and long-tall vent in the front gable.

The Berwyn was another hugely popular house for Sears. It's also easy to find with that double-arched entry and tall vent in the front gable. (1929)

Is this little house in Somerville a Berwyn? My first impression is yes, it is. It's missing the long tall vent in the front gable, but replacing that with a double-sash window would be easy to do. The rest of the house is a spot-on match. Photo is copyright 2010, Marge Sullivan and Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Look, it has an "S" on the chimney, and that's how you can tell it is a Sears Home! WRONG. That silly legend has persisted for many years, but it is NOT true. The "S" is just a stylistic element and has nothing to do with identifying a Sears House. (1930 catalog)

Is this a Sears Lewiston in Somerville? On this house, it might be good to see a little more info. That metal casement window on the edge

Is this a Sears Lewiston in Somerville? Very possibly, and yet... On this house, it might be good to get a little more info. Is that a metal casement window on the left side? If so, that's a little worrisome. This style of house was hugely popular after WW2, and in my research, the quasi-Lewistons I've found with that metal casement window are always post-WW2. On the other hand, it's also very possible that this window was added in later years. The original wooden casement window that would have been in this spot was notoriously drafty. Photo is copyright 2010, Marge Sullivan and Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

The Martha Washington is one of my favorite Sears Homes. (1921 catalog)

The Martha Washington in Somerville is another beauty in original condition. Notice the darling benches (hopefully under repair in this photo), also appear in the original catalog picture above. Photo is copyright 2010, Marge Sullivan and Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Sears Modern Home #138. Pretty rare house.

Of all the Sears Homes in Somerville, this is my favorite, Sears Modern Home #138. And - as with the other Sears Homes in Somerville - this one is in beautiful condition! Photo is copyright 2010, Marge Sullivan and Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

And my friend Rachel recently discovered a Sears Cedars in Somerville. It'd be great to get a photo of that one, too!

Do you know where the Sears Altona is in Somerville? If so, please leave a comment below!

To read the next blog, click here.

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: aladdin houses, arlington, arlington sears homes, berwyn, berwyn sears homes, bungalow, bungalows, carlin sears, Carlinville, carlinville sears homes, catalog house, cornell kit, cornell kit homes, four square, foursquare, gordon van tine, homart appliances, homart homes, homart house, honor bilt, honor built, honor built homes, houses by mail, houses by mail book, kit homes aladdin kit homes, kit homes in new jersey, mail order, martha washington, martha washington kit, martha washington sears homes, milton, milton house, new jersey kit homes, precut, precut home, precut kit, prefab kit, prefab kits, prefabricated kits, Rose Thornton, Rosemary Thornton, sears and roebuck, sears and roebuck catalog, sears and roebuck kit, sears and roebuck kit houses, Sears barns, sears bungalow, Sears Carlin, sears colchester, sears cornell, sears craftsman, sears davenport, sears foursquare, sears homes in arlington, Sears house, sears houses, sears kit homes in new jersey, Sears Lewiston, sears milton, sears miltons, sears modern home, Sears Modern Homes, sears modern homes sales, the milton, wardway homes

Make That FIVE Sterling Kit Homes in Anderson, South Carolina.

June 19th, 2012 Sears Homes 3 comments

In yesterday’s blog, I talked about the four Sterling kit homes that I found in Anderson, South Carolina.

Click here to read more about that.

Well, when I was in Anderson, I took a photo of another house that I couldn’t readily identify, but it triggered a memory. This morning, I sat down and went through the 1928 Sterling Homes catalog and realized that my “triggered memory” was The Sterling Classic. This now represents the FIFTH house from Sterling Homes that I found in Anderson.

It’s a pretty distinctive house and there’s little doubt (especially with the other four houses) that this could be anything but another Sterling Home.

Again I wonder - how in the world did Anderson - 800 miles due south from Bay City, Michigan, end up with so many Sterling Homes? And are there MORE than five? I’m sure there are. My knowledge of Sterling Homes is truly pitiable. My buddy Dale Wolicki is the expert on Sterling.

But even a blind squirrel finds an acorn from time to time, and I happened to find five Sterlings in Anderson. I’m confident there are many more.

And if anyone can get me a better photo of this little house, I’d be profoundly grateful.

The FIFTH Sterling kit house in Anderson is the "Classic" (1928 catalog).

Nice floorplan, too.

The Classic had several distinctive features, such as the two matching "picture" windows on the home's front and that small, low dormer. But most distinctive is that front porch. The four piers extend beyond the home's walls and the porch column sits within those four piers. Now that's very unusual.

Close-up on that unusual feature.

And here's the "Classic" in Anderson.

Take a look at the front porch detail. It shows that column sitting within the space created by the four piers. This is a good match!!

Again - how did Anderson end up with so many Sterling Homes? I’d love to know.

To learn more about Sterling Homes, click here.

If you’re able to get me a better photo of this house, please leave a comment below!

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The Sears 264P202! What a House!

The Flossmoor: Good Dental Advice or a Sears House?

Cooking - Off the Grid!

A Very Presidential House: The Garfield

Where Art Thou Hamilton?

Do You Have 60 Seconds to Save a Sears House? (Part IV)

The Impressive Array of Kit Homes in Bowling Green, Ohio

South Carolina, Churlish Chiggers, and Fake Maggies

The Sears Homes in Somerville, New Jersey

Make That FIVE Sterling Kit Homes in Anderson, South Carolina.

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