The Sears Bandon was a beauty, but why wasn't it more popular? I've only seen one - ever - and that was just outside of Cairo, Illinois (image is from 1921 catalog).

It had a very busy floor plan, and it's the only house I've ever seen with a "dining porch." This room - which jutted out from the rest of the house - had ventilation on three sides, and seven windows.

Close-up of the floorplan shows how busy this house is! Look at the kitchen! The ice box was in the staircase landing. And the kitchen was oh-so tiny!

And it was a fine-looking house!

And here is the real-life beauty in Pulaski!

Nice, isn't it? :)

The 1921 catalog image included this thumbnail from straight--on.

Pretty, pretty house! While southern Illinois does have some of the nicest people, it also some of the worst, mean, loud and scary-looking dogs! These dogs never did stop barking!

The Sears Bandon is perfect in every way!

It's perfect! Down to the details!!

And it's in a beautiful, bucolic setting!

From this angle, you can get a better view of the Dining Porch.

As a nice bonus, the old barn (built 1924) is still standing, and in beautiful condition.

The Cyclone Barn was a very popular item for Sears (shown here in the 1920 catalog).

The Sears Magnolia was their biggest, fanciest and most expensive home. It was offered from 1918-1922. The picture here is from the 1921 catalog. If you look closely at the badge that shows the price, you'll see that the Magnolia was also known as #2089.

After World War One (The Great War), lumber prices went sky high. Sears catalogs had about a six-week lead time (from creation to publishing). Due to the volatility of building material costs, Sears couldn't keep up on the price info. As an alternate, they just stuck price sheets into the pages of the Sears Modern Homes catalog. See the Magnolia above? This shows the profound reduction in cost, in the Spring 1921 Sears catalog.

The Magnolia had more than 2,900 square feet (as built). The first floor was pretty busy.

Here's a close-up of the kitchen area and butler's pantry. Notice that there''s a downstairs "lavatory." Pretty upscale for 1921.

My favorite Magnolia. This one is in Benson, NC.

And this one is in Canton, Ohio.

The lumber in Sears Homes was numbered, as is shown in this graphic from the rear cover of the 1921 catalog. The mark is on one end of the lumber, and also on the face of it (typically about 6-8" from the end). "B" was for 2x4s, "C" was 2x6s, "D" was 2x8s.

Here's a real life example of the mark on the lumber.

The Magnolia was also known as Modern Home #2089. If you look closely, you'll see the number 2089 scribbled on this 2x8. This is the basement of the Benson Magnolia. When the house was being prepared for shipment out of the mill in Cairo, Illinois, the model number was written on a few of the framing members. To the right is the name of the family that originally placed the order for this house.

The Magnolia was offered with both Corinthian (as shown here) and Ionic columns. I haven't figured out if this was an option, or if it was dependent on what year the house was ordered. In the Sears Magnolia, these columns are wooden and hollow. I've found that most "Southern Colonials" (with these two-story columns) have concrete columns. If you think you've found a Magnolia, go rap on the columns and if they're made of something more solid than wood, it is NOT a Magnolia.

The entry hall of a Sears Magnolia in Irwin, PA. The details matter. Notice over the door, there's an arched fan light. Many "look-alikes" have a square transom over the door. Learn how to pay attention to these many details.

Notice these very distinctive windows on the Magnolia. Does the house you're looking at have these very same windows? If not, it's probably not a Sears Magnolia.

If it doesn't look like this, it's not a Magnolia! :)

It was a gloomy day when I photographed this Sears Hollywood in Owaneco, but this is still one of my favorite photos from that trip. This house is still solid and square and true.

The original catalog image from 1919.

This was a very spacious house. The living room alone was 406 square feet of living area. The house itself was almost 1,400 square feet. And it even had a sleeping porch on the back!

The Hollywood was offered in two different styles. The house in Owaneco is the style shown in the lower right of the catalog page. I've reversed the image (as is shown directly underneath the home's actual photo). Sears plans could be "reversed" to take advantage of optimal lighting on the lot.

According to the catalog, there are also Hollywoods in these cities!

Sears Castleton as seen in the 1916 catalog.

This Castleton in Peoria, Illinois does not have the Castelton porch columns, but rather has the traditional Sears porch columns found on the Sears Woodland.

This Castleton had the tradition Castleton columns, but has a different dormer! (Aurora, IL)

As is typical of four-squares, it has four rooms on the four corners of the house, but look at the size of the "den"!

The front bedroom is a mere 7'7" wide. Pretty darn tiny.

This appeared on page 2 of the Sears Building Materials catalog (1921)

Close-up of the letter written by A. C. Goodall.

The beautiful Alhambra - as seen in the 1921 Building Materials catalog.

Sears Alhambra in Portsmouth, Virginia (my home town). This house is in the 1500-block of County Street, and it's surrounded by blocks and blocks of empty lots, razed during a redevelopment period in Portsmouth's history. I can't help but wonder - how many Sears kit homes now sit in the Suffolk landfill from this neighborhood?

Sears Alhambra as seen in the 1921 Sears Modern Homes catalog.

One of the most beautiful Alhambras even seen in captivity! This is in Peotone, IL and the photo is copyright 2010 Dale Wolicki, and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

A real beauty in Bedford, Pennsylvania.

Another beautiful Alhambra in Nebraska. This photo is copyright 2010 Nathan Sonnenchein, and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

Like its cousin in Portsmouth, this Alhambra is also painted a light yellow. This pretty house is in Lexington, Virginia.

Beige seems to be a favorite color for the Alhambra. This is in Raleigh.

We have four of these houses in West Ghent (Norfolk). I'm confident that they're Alhambras - and the floorplan is a spot-on match - but the spanish extras are not there.

Another view of the house in West Ghent. You can see it's got the two bay windows on the side - just like a real Alhambra!

There are four of these "plain-Jane Alhambras" in Norfolk. Three are in West Ghent (shown above) and this one is in Ocean View (Norfolk). Note, it's a little different from the three in West Ghent, as it has the porch (covered and open) that matches the traditional Alhambra.

This Alhambra has also has also lost some of its unique architectural elements, but you can still see it's an Alhambra! This is in Lynchburg, VA.

Sears Alhambra in Gaffney, SC. My favorite color: Lavender!

Alhambra in Portsmouth, Virginia (Cradock). I discovered this Alhambra when an elderly gent attended my lecture in Port Norfolk (Portsmouth). We had four people show up for that lecture, so I was mighty glad when he and his wife appeared, and increased the audience size by 50%! After the talk, he invited me to see this Alhambra, and he had the original blue prints!

Alhambra Interiors - as seen in the 1921 catalog.

Close-up of the Alhambra Living Room.

And check out that chandelier in the dining room.

A matching "Alhambra" garage was offered in the late 1910s!

Fine little Sears Home in Owaneco, IL

From the 1919 catalog, a variation of the Sears Hollywood.

Sears Hollywood, as seen in the 1921 Sears Modern Homes catalog.

Sears Hollywood in St. Charles, IL (found and documented by Rebecca Hunter).

From the 1919 catalog, a variation of the Sears Hollywood.

Sears Hollywood in Cairo, Illinois.

Sears Warrenton as seen in the 1919 Sears catalog.

Sears Warrenton in Standard Addition. I like the pink bottom, and I like the fact that this house retains its original sidings, but the lattice work around the porch is a little distracting.

Sears Roseberry from the 1920 Modern Homes catalog.

Sears Roseberry in Standard Addition

Sears Whitehall

This Sears Whitehall is in originally wonderful condition!

Sears Lebanon

The windows on the porch of the Sears Lebanon were probably added soon after the house was built, or in the 1930s. Very nicely done.

Gladstone/Langston. As you'll see below, there's very little difference between the Sears Gladstone and the Langston.

The salt-treated porch railings, foundation lattice work, and satellite dish are probably not original.

The heading reads, "For Better Class Workers." I'm happy to report that Sears did not offer a house for "Lesser Class Workers."

Desperate to remain in contact with the outside world after losing its front windows, this clever little Carlin erected a Ham Radio antenna.

Madelia

The railings and lattice work on this Sears Madelia are not original, but they are nicely done. A most attractive little house!

Gladstone

The spacious porch on this Gladstone was closed in, but the remodeling was done in a sensitive manner. You can still see the unique porch columns with their flared blocks at the top. This Sears House. The fireplace is a rarity among Standard Addition's homes. It was probably added later.

Vintage photo of Standard Addition, shortly after the houses were built.

Sears Homes of Illinois (Cover)

Sears Homes of Illinois (Rear Cover)

Beautiful little Hollywood in Owaneco

Lumber was numbered to facilitate construction

The numbers are usually less than an inch tall and will be found near the edge of the board.

See the faint markings on this lumber? This mark was made in blue grease pencil and reads, "2089" and was scribbled on the board when the lumber left Cairo, Illinois. This was a photo taken in a Sears Magnolia in North Carolina. The Sears Magnolia was also known as Model #2089

Sears Magnolia was also known as Model #2089.

Shipping labels can also be a clue that you have a Sears Home.

"The Sears Homes of Illinois" has more than 200 color photos of the most popular designs that Sears offered and can be very helpful in identifying Sears Homes.

Ephemera can help identify a house as a Sears Home. This picture came from an original set of Sears "Honor Bilt" blueprints.

Ephemera and paperwork can provide proof that you do indeed have a Sears Home.

Plumbing fixtures - such as this bathtub - can provide clues, as well. I've found this "SR" (Sears Roebuck) stamp on bathtubs, sinks and toilets. On the sink, it's found on the underside, and on toilets, it's found in the tank, near the casting date.

Goodwall Sheet Plaster was sold in the pages of the Sears Modern Homes catalogs. This was a "fireproof" product that was much like modern sheetrock.

About two dozen of Sears most popular designs had a unique column arrangement that makes identification easier. The Vallonia was one of those 24 Sears Homes with that unique column arrangement.

Close-up of the columns.

And in the flesh...

Houses should be a perfect match to original drawings found in the Sears Modern Homes catalog. This is where people get into trouble. They ignore the details.

Sears "Mitchell" in Elgin, Illinois.

The Sears Winona, as featured in the 1921 Sears Modern Homes catalog. The house in Raleigh (see below) is just a spot-on match, a rarity in a house of this age!

Sears Winona in Raleigh, looking PERFECT!

Sears Auburn

And a dazzling Auburn in Halifax, NC.

Sears Pheonix from the 1919 Modern Homes catalog.

And a lovely Sears Pheonix in Newman, IL. Photo is courtesy Rebecca Hunter.