Prefab Kits | Sears Modern Homes

The Paloma: A Two-Story Bargain

March 6th, 2013 Sears Homes 3 comments

In 1919, The Paloma was indeed a “two-story bargain.” The very modest 860-square-foot, two-story house cost a mere $1,131 which was a sound value. And all in all, it wasn’t a bad-looking little house. But it was little.

Upstairs, they managed to carve three bedrooms out of the 18×24′ footprint, but they were very small. Each of the three bedrooms measured eight by something, and that makes for some pretty cramped quarters.

In Spanish, “Paloma” means pigeon. But Paloma is also the name of a city in Illinois. So was it named for the city or the bird? I’m guessing the city.

Many thanks to Donna Bakke for supplying photos of the real life Palomas in Cheviot, Ohio, a neighborhood in Cincinnati.

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The Paloma from the 1919 catalog.

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"Profitable investment"? At least it will be a dignified investment.

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Now that's a small kitchen. Add some cabinets and you've got a kitchen so small that you have to step into the dining room to change your mind.

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Notice how that closet window on the 2nd floor is not centered. Also, look at how small these bedrooms were. Not one of them is bigger than eight-feet something.

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Apparently, it was fairly popular.

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The Paloma as seen in the 1919 catalog. Love the flowers! In this line drawing, it appears that the closet window (second floor) is centered between the two bedroom windows. That's not accurate. The floorplan (shown above) gives a more accurate rendering.

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A Paloma in Cheviot, Ohio. Notice how that little closet window is off center? That's one very distinctive feature of this simple little house. This Paloma's original porch columns were transmogrified into pillars of wrought iron - probably in the 1950s or 60s. Photo is copyright 2012 Donna Bakke and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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The vinyl-siding salesmen have had their way with this poor little house, but at least the porch survived that experience (even if the window frames did not). And the little closet window on the 2nd floor got buried. Photo is copyright 2012 Donna Bakke and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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

To read about the abundance of kit homes in Staunton, VA, click here.

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The Stanhope, not in Iowa or New Jersey, but Norfolk!

January 19th, 2013 Sears Homes 2 comments

Stanhope is the name of a city in Iowa and New Jersey. And it’s also the name of a car that was sold from 1904-1906, by the Twyford Motor Car Company of Brookville, Pennsylvania.

But for this blog, we’re going to talk about the Stanhope that was sold by Aladdin of Bay City, Michigan.

The Stanhope was a fairly popular house. In 1920s America, it was an ideal home in both size and price. And unlike so many of these diminutive bungalows, it had three bedrooms (most had two).

Yes, they were only 10 x 10, but for the family with four girls and three boys, it was probably a whole lot better than fold-out cots in the living and dining rooms (another popular option at the time).

Aladdin, like Sears, offered kit homes through their mail-order catalog. Sears sold about 70,000 kit homes during their 32 years in the building business. Aladdin sold more than 75,000 homes. The Sears Modern Homes department was in business from 1908-1940. Aladdin started selling houses in 1906, and didn’t close until 1981, a full 75 years!

Here in Norfolk, Virginia (where I live), we have many more Aladdins than Sears. Aladdin had a large mill in Wilmington, NC which explains why there are so many Aladdin kit homes in the Southeast.

Thanks to Dale Wolicki for providing info on Aladdin!

To learn more about Aladdin, click here.

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Aladdin (based in Bay City) sold kit homes through mail order.

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

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

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

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

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After reading this delicious description, kinda makes ME want to run out and buy a Stanhope of my own!

"Are you not pleased with the Stanhope?"

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

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

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And yet, you can find them if theyre in original condition. Heres a perfect Stanhope in Scotland Neck, NC (near Roanoke Rapids).

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

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Nice match, isn't it?

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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!

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

Have you visited Roanoke Rapids? It’s a town FULL of Aladdin kit homes. Click here to learn more.

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Categories: Uncategorized Tags: aladdin and roanoke rapids, aladdin genie, aladdin homes, aladdin houses, aladdin in 1906, aladdin kit homes, aladdin kit houses, aladdin pomona, aladdin precut, aladdin prefab, Aladdin sheffield, aladdin stanhope, aladdin stanhope house, aladdin villa, bay city, bay city michigan, built in a day, catalogs, concord, concord NC, craftsman house, Dale Wolicki, historic homes in scotland neck, houses by mail, houses from catalogs, houses from mail, houses from mail order, houses in roanoke rapids, kit home, kit homes in concord, kit homes in norfolk, mail order, mail order catalogs, mail order home, mail order house, norfolk and kit homes, norfolk and their kit homes, Norfolk VA, north carolina and aladdin, prefab bungalows, prefab home, prefab homes, prefab house, prefab houses, prefab kit homes, prefab kits, prefabricated bungalows, prefabricated homes, Rebecca Hunter, roanoke rapids, roanoke rapids and their kit homes, roanoke rapids nc, Rose Thornton, Rosemary Thornton, scotland, scotland neck, scotland neck nc, scotland neck north carolina, Sears Homes, sears houses, Sears Modern Homes, sears modern house, small bungalows, stanhope, the bungalow and kit house, the houses that sears built, the kit homes from aladdin, the kit houses of aladdin, the stanhope from aladdin

Richard Warren Sears: A Few Fun Facts!

November 28th, 2012 Sears Homes No comments

As mentioned in my previous blog, Richard Warren Sears was my hero, and he really was a marketing genius.

Here’s my #1 favorite story that showcases his brilliance:

Knowing that many households would have both his catalog and the Montgomery Ward catalog, Sears purposefully designed his catalog a little shorter and narrower than the Ward catalog. He knew that when the housewife was tidying up the home, the Sears catalog, being smaller, would be stacked on top of the Wards catalog.

The book Sears Roebuck and Company: 100th Anniversary relates that a Sunday School pupil was asked,”Where did the Ten Commandments come from?” The child innocently replied, “From the Sears, Roebuck catalog.”

Local merchants and owners of general stores were up in arms at the low prices Sears offered in his catalog and the bold promises that buyers could save money by eliminating the middle man. Of course, the middle man that Sears wanted to eliminate was the owner of the general store! In more than a few towns, children were promised a free movie ticket for every Sears catalog they brought into the local store. The catalogs were then piled high and ceremoniously burned in a massive bonfire.

In 1896, the annual sales for the mail order firm of Sears and Roebuck were $1.2 million and by 1914 they hit $101 million. At its peak in 1915, the general merchandise catalog contained 100,000 items in 1200 pages and weighed four pounds.

During World War I, the Sears Roebuck catalog was the book most requested by American soldiers recovering in overseas hospitals. Julius Rosenwald sailed to France in the midst of the Great War (WWI) with four huge wooden crates, each filled with Sears catalogs, for distribution to the American boys lying in a hospital. (The Good Old Days; A History of American Morals and Manners as Seen Through the Sears Roebuck Catalogs.)

According to Sears, Roebuck, USA: The Great American Catalog Store and How It Grew a Sears customer wrote and asked to return several bottles of patent medicine shed purchased from Sears, explaining that the medicine had originally been intended for her husband and he’d since passed on. The clerk who received the inquiry responded by asking the woman if shed like to see a copy of Sears Tombstone Catalog.

The famous Chicago radio station, WLS, actually began as a promotional tool for Sears. In fact, WLS stands for Worlds Largest Store. The station signed on in 1924 with farm reports and weather information. Sears sold the radio station in the fall of 1928.

In the 1930s, Sears sold live baby chicks through their mail order catalogs. The chicks cost ten cents each and safe, live delivery was promised.

In November 1952, Sears announced it would sell the Allstate - a small car with a 100-inch wheelbase, capable of 35 mpg. It was an incredibly “basic” ride, and the first models lacked trunk lids and glove compartments. The little car with a four or six cylinder engine cost $1395 - $1796. Two years later, Sears stopped selling the cars, having sold about 1500. The reason: Sears was ill-prepared to handle the problem of trade-ins.

To see several beautiful photos of this 1950s Dream Machine, click here.

To see a video of the Henry J (the Sears Allstate), click here.

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For 76.99 pounds (British), you can have your own "Henry J" (Sears Allstate) auto. This is a miniature reproduction of the 1952 "Deluxe" Allstate, offered by minimodelshop.com.uk.

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To order your own Henry J, click here.

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WLS was originally started by Sears and Roebuck to use wholly as a promotional tool. WLS stands for "World's Largest Store." Shown here is the first edition of the WLS (Sears) employee newsletter.

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Sears had a massive lumber mill just outside of Cairo, Illinois. The street was named "Sears and Roebuck Road," but in later years, it was split into two dead-end streets by the highway. One side was named "Sears Road."

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And the other side was named "Roebuck Road."

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And Garmin never got the memo...

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To read the prior blog about Richard Sears, click here.

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Categories: Uncategorized Tags: 1950s vintage cars, aladdin kits, allstate and sears, alvah roebuck, bengali, bungalows, cars sold by sears, cars sold in mail order, chicago bungalows, chicago houses, chicago suburbs, craftsman bungalow, craftsman house, craftsman houses, craftsman style homes, craftsman tools, did sears sell cars, henry j the car, henry j., homart appliance, homart homes, homart houses, houses by mail, mail order, mail order houses, mail order items, old catalogs from sears, old prefab, prefab kits, radio and sears, retails stores, roebuck road, sears and roebuck, sears and roebuck kits, sears and roebuck stores, sears and uncle sam, sears car, sears catalog, sears craftsman, Sears Homes, sears homes of Illinois, sears houses, sears kit home the clyde, sears old catalog, sears prefab, sears prefab house, sears prefabricated house, sears promotions, the allstate car, the automobile and sears, the clyde, the henry j. the allstate, the houses from sears, the houses that sears built, the sears allstate, the sears kit homes, uncle sam and sears, wabash, wabash cannonball, wardway kits, WLS, WLS and radio, WLS and Sears, WLS radio station in chicago

The Homey Homewood

July 17th, 2012 Sears Homes 1 comment

Some models of Sears Homes were wildly popular. Some were not.

The Homewood falls into the second category.

And yet, it’s a puzzle as to why this attractive two-story bungalow was not a big seller for Sears.

With 784 square feet on each floor (about 1,600 square feet total), it was spacious with good-sized rooms and a thoughtful floorplan. And the price ($2,535 in 1928) was about average for the time period.

This house was only offered for a handful of years. Perhaps that’s why we don’t see more models of The Sears Homewood.

The Sears Homewood (1928 catalog)

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Nice floorplan, and about 784 square feet per floor.

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All of the bedrooms have a nice-sized closet. What a bonus!

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The Homewood was a fine-looking bungalow!

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Here's one in Elmhurst, Illinois. Thanks to Rebecca Hunter for finding this house, and then driving me over there to Elmhurst so I could get a good photo! This model did not have a fireplace. Not all that unusual in Sears Homes. Fireplaces were optional.

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To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

To read about the other Sears Homes in Northern Illinois, click here.

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The Columbine: The Flower of Sears Homes

July 10th, 2012 Sears Homes No comments

The Columbine (from the Latin word for “dove”) is Colorado’s state flower; it’s a perennial plant that grows naturally in meadows and forests.

And it’s also a fairly unusual Sears kit house.

The Sears Columbine has several unusual features, which makes it easy to identify. But this model was not very popular, which means you’re probably not going to find too many of them.

Sears Columbine as seen in the 1921 catalog.

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And the 1928 catalog. Notice it's a little different from the 1921 picture.

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In 1928 (left) the dentil molding is gone. And interesting, the two catalog images (1928 and 1921) are from different angles. I don't think I've seen any other Sears catalog images that showed the house from two different angles in different years.

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The floorplan in both 1928 and 1921 was the same.

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In the lower left of the 1928 catalog is the slightly different version of the Sears Columbine.

In the lower left of the 1928 catalog page was the slightly different version of the Sears Columbine. The front porch was the only difference between "A" and "B" models.

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Here's a Columbine (Model B) in Elgin, IL. Rebecca Hunter has discovered that Elgin has more than 200 Sears Homes, making it THE largest collection of Sears Homes in the country. Photo is copyright 2010 Rebecca Hunter and can not be used or reproduced without written permission.

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To read about Rebecca’s newest book, click here.

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Sears Columbine, as seen in 1921.

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Here's a beautiful Columbine in Wheaton, IL. The large addition (to the right) was very tastefully done.

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The pretty Columbine from a slightly different angle.

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

To read about Rebecca’s new book, click here.

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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!

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

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

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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.

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The Sears Arlington, from the 1919 catalog.

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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.

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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."

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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)

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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.

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

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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.

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Sears Modern Home #138. Pretty rare house.

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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.

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

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

To read the next blog, click here.

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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

Sears Modern Home #138 in Somerville, NJ

July 7th, 2012 Sears Homes No comments

There are several dozen Sears Homes that I have never seen “in the flesh,” but thanks to the kindness of fellow kit house aficionados, I’m “discovering” more of these rare houses. Hopefully by sharing these photos here, more and more of these rare Sears Kit Homes will be discovered.

Some years ago, the Somerville Historic Advisory Committee discovered that they had a Sears Modern Home #138 in their city. The house had been moved years ago (to prevent its being demolished) and yet even now, it’s still in delightfully original condition and even retains its original cobblestone chimney.

Many thanks to Marge Sullivan and the Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) for sending these photos to me, and granting permission to publish them here.

Somerville has an abundance of kit homes. To see the Sears Milton in Somerville, click here!

Sears Modern Home #138 was offered only in the 1913 catalog, according to "Houses by Mail" (a field guide to Sears Homes published in 1985).

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First floor of the Sears Modern Home #138. Nice-size pantry!

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Three bedrooms AND a bathroom!

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Sears #138 in Somerville, NJ. Photo is copyright 2010, Somerville Historic Advisory Committee (Somerville, NJ) and may not be used or reproduced without written permission. This house was moved from another location (in Somerville) and during the move, the cobblestone columns and cheeks were lost, but the fireplace survived the move!

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Nice match to the #138 in Somerville!

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

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

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Riverside or Claremont?

June 27th, 2012 Sears Homes 2 comments

Friend and fellow-Sears House aficionado Cindy Catanzara Goebel sent me some photos and asked, “Is this a Sears Riverside or Claremont?”

I didn’t have a clue, so I dug out the old catalogs and studied the two models.

And then I learned something new.

The Sears Riverside and the Sears Claremont are the same house - down to the details. The floor plans are identical, as are the room dimensions. Why did Sears use two different names on one house design?

Just to confuse us 70+ years later, I suppose.

In the late 1920s, this little Cape Cod was known as The Claremont. Sometime in the early 1930s, it was renamed The Riverside.

Cindy found this house by searching old mortgage records. According to her research, the house was built in 1929, and the original mortgage amount was $4,600.

To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

To see pictures of the big fancy Sears Houses, click here.

The Sears Riverside, as seen in the 1934 Sears Modern Homes catalog.

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The Sears Claremont appeared in the 1928 catalog.

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Not much difference between the two houses! The Claremont (1928) is on the right, and the Riverside is on the right. Why, they even have the same bushes in the front!!

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The Riverside was 24' by 36'.

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And so was the Claremont.

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So, the Riverside/Claremont (Rivermont?) was the same house. But it was a very attractive Cape Cod.

So, the Riverside/Claremont (Rivermont?) was the same model with two names (1928 and 1934). And, best of all, it was a very attractive Cape Cod.

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And here is the Clareside (Rivermont?) in Mechanicsburg, Ohio. Notice the chimney on the end wall. Is there a fireplace in that 9x10 bedroom? I doubt it. Most likely, the wall was removed between the living room and bedroom, creating a more spacious living room. (Photo is copyright 2012 Cindy Goebel Catanzaro and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.)

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Another view of the Claremont and Riverside.

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This photo really shows that asymmetrical gable kissing the ground on one side. Very distinctive feature. (Photo is copyright 2012 Cindy Goebel Catanzaro and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.)

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To read the next fascinating blog, click here.

To read about the other kit houses in Mechanicsburg, click here.

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Categories: Uncategorized Tags: aladdin homes, aladdin houses, aladdin kit homes, albert brown, albert brown of ohio, alvah c. roebuck, alvah roebuck, cape cod, cape cod houses, cape cod housing, cape cod kit homes, cindy catanzara goebel, cindy goebel, claremont, history of houses, honor bilt, honor bilt kit, honor built, houses by mail, kit homes, kit houses, kit housing, mail order, mail order kit homes, mechanicsburg, mechanicsburg in ohio, mechanicsburg Ohio, precut, precut kit, precut kit houses, precut kits, prefab houses, prefab kit homes, prefab kits, Rachel Shoemaker, richard warren sears, riverside, Rose Thornton, Rosemary Thornton, sears alhambra, sears and roebuck, sears claremont house, sears homes of Illinois, Sears house, sears houses, sears prefabricated homes, sears roebuck, the brown family, the history of sears homes, the houses that sears built, the sears claremont, the sears riverside

Albert Brown’s Awesome Old House in Mechanicsburg, Ohio

June 26th, 2012 Sears Homes 6 comments

In 1912, Albert Brown of Mechanicsburg, Ohio sent a lovely letter to Gordon Van Tine (a kit home company), praising House #126, which he’d recently purchased of them. Albert was so enamored of the house that (he said in his letter), it was his intention (in 1912) to buy and build two more houses and one barn from Gordon Van Tine (based in Davenport, Iowa).

In fact, Albert asked Gordon Van Tine for a placard for his house, identifying it as one of their own homes.

Gordon Van Tine published Albert’s letter in their 1913 mail-order catalog (and Albert’s letter is shown below).

We don’t know if Albert ever purchased or built those other two houses, or if Gordon Van Tine ever provided him with a placard for his house, but we do know that Albert bought his barn, and built it at the back of the lot, adjacent to House #126.

It’s pretty darn fun to rediscover this lost piece of history and “connect all the dots,” based just on a name and a short testimony found in a 1913 mail order catalog.

So, are there two more Gordon Van Tine houses there in Mechanicsburg, thanks to Albert? I’d love to know!

Thanks to Rachel Shoemaker for digging into this story and finding this amazing house (and getting an address!), and thanks to Cindy Goebel Catanzaro for taking so many wonderful photos!

To learn more about Gordon Van Tine kit homes, click here.

Want to learn how to identify kit homes? Click here.

House #126 as it appeared in the 1913 Gordon Van Tine catalog.

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Close-up of the house that Albert selected (1913).

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Albert Brown's testimony appeared under #126 in the 1913 catalog.

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And here is Albert's house as it appears today. It's a real beauty, and a lovely match to the 1913 catalog image. If you look at the lower right of this photo, you can see the barn that Albert purchased in later years. (Photo is copyright 2012 Cindy Goebel Catanzaro and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.)

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Notice the oval window in the front gable, and the small vestibule.

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This house in Mechanicsburg is in wonderfully original condition. I wonder if the current owners know about Albert, and his story? I wonder if they realize that they have a kit home? (Photo is copyright 2012 Cindy Goebel Catanzaro and may not be used or reproduced without written permission.)

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And my favorite photo of all! Cindy managed to get inside this house and found a vintage photo hanging on the wall. Is this Albert and friends? Oh, how Id love to know!!

And my favorite photo of all! Cindy managed to get inside this house and found a vintage photo of #126 hanging on the wall. Is this Albert and friends? Oh, how I'd love to know!!

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Close up of the folks. Who are these people? They obviously love their dogs!

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Albert was so dazzled by the House #126 that he purchased this barn in later years.

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Nice barn!

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Again, many thanks to Rachel Shoemaker for finding this house in Mechanicsburg (with a little help from Ancestry.com) and thanks to Cindy Goebel Catanzara for running out to Mechanicsburg to get these wonderful photos!

Want to learn more about Gordon Van Tine? Click here.

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Wow! THREE Sterling Homes in Anderson, SC!

June 18th, 2012 Sears Homes 8 comments

Recently I was visiting family in Pickens, South Carolina and whilst there, I drove more than 400 miles throughout the Western part of the state, seeking kit homes. Sadly, there are not many kit homes in this part of the country.

However, I did find one city in South Carolina that had several kit homes: Anderson, South Carolina.

And there in Anderson, I found not one but three (and possibly four) kit homes from Sterling Homes (based in Bay City). Better yet, one of those kit homes was Sterling’s crème de la crème - the Vernon.

This was their biggest and best kit home, and this was the first Sterling Vernon that I’ve ever found.

And it was a beauty!

I’d love to know if the owners of this house realize that they have a kit home!

And in addition to the Vernon, I also found a Van Dyke and a Ma Cherie, also from Sterling.

UPDATED: I’ve identified ANOTHER Sterling Home in Anderson! Click here to read the latest blog!!

To read about the OTHER kit homes I found in Anderson, check back in a few days. I’ll be adding those photos soon.

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The Sterling Vernon was featured on the cover of their 1928 catalog.

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The Vernon was their biggest, fanciest house.

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And according to this, it was the house of YOUR dreams!

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Do the owners of this "Vernon" know that they have a kit home?

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Close-up on the details.

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The Sterling Vernon as seen in the 1928 catalog.

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The Ma Cherie was a beautiful bungalow offered by Sterling. Pay attention to the details around the front porch.

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This house in Anderson is a spot-on match to the Sterling "Ma Cherie." And it's in beautifully original condition. Look at the details on the front porch. All the details are perfect.

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Another picture of the Ma Cherie in Anderson.

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The Van Dyke was another popular house for Sterling.

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Another beautiful match. This Van Dyke is less than two blocks from the Vernon.

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And this is frustrating! I saw this house in Anderson but neglected to get a photo! It was near the other kit homes shown above.

Updated! This house is at 2309 Edgewood Avenue in Anderson, SC. My kingdom for a photo of this house!!

And this house actually makes FOUR Sterling Homes in Anderson (so the blog title is now in error!).

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How did Anderson end up with so many kit homes from a small company in Bay City, Michigan? It’s a real mystery.

If you have any info to add, please leave a comment below.

To learn more about Sterling Homes, click here.

To learn more about Sears Homes, click here.

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