A “Dupe” Design From Sears Modern Homes and Lewis Homes

Like I have been telling folks, repeatedly, Sears (and Lewis Homes) got this design from another source and it was NOT THEIR DESIGN. Sears and Lewis “duped” this design to sell bundled materials that we today call “kit homes”. Sears introduced this borrowed design in 1926 as The Glen Falls. Gorgeous enough that it graced the cover in 1927! And Lewis Homes offered it in 1924 as The Vernon. In prior years it appears in numerous pattern catalogs.

People often say their home was copied from a Sears home or based on a Sears home. More often vice versa. Here’s another house that Sears “copied” and the evidence. Dupe. Duplicated.

This is the cover of a building trade journal Building Age published April 1919

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An Ideal Cottage for a Summer Home or a Water Edge Resort, Sears Modern Homes Number 125

A discussion in the Sears Homes Group about the Sears Ashmore took me to Rose’s blog where I saw a testimony for a C125 and I thought, hey! I know where that house is! I’ve been trying to feature the ‘not seen very often’ kit homes lately and I’ve never seen anyone share a Sears 125….so, here we go!

This testimony from my Sears 1917 Modern Homes catalog lead me to the only known to exist Sears 125.

From the exterior the Sears 125 looks like a pretty non-descript hip roofed bungalow with a low shed dormer. the interior is interesting, especially for an everyday home.

In 1912 a high school teacher in Abilene, Texas turned to Sears Modern Homes to build a home for his family of five. John Odor and his wife Addie and their three sons; Paul, Ernest, and Russell called this Sears 125 home for many years.

Image google street view

Sears offered the 125 1908-1917.  This image from my Sears Modern Homes catalog 1912 shows the price that John Odor would have paid for his house that he built in 1912. He saved $500.00 That’s a lot! Keep in mind, he had to have a lot, he had to purchase cement and masonry local and this price did not include anything electrical or plumbing, or heat. Just the structure.

Looking at this floor plan, I can’t help but wonder if John made changes. Did he put in a bathroom? This was in the city limit of Abilene, Texas. Did he build real walls instead of beaded wall partitions? That might be fine for a summer cottage or a place on the waters edge to vacation. But, three rowdy boys 24/7 ? Likely not.

This google street view from the right shows what appears to be another door and mail box. It must be a duplex now.

And we get a glimpse of the back between houses from the block behind. You may have noticed the low shed dormer was either omitted or removed at some point. I think likely omitted and this tiny dormer in the back was built instead, or maybe it was in the plans and we just don’t know since we can’t see the actual blue prints. No telling.

Image from google street view.

Have you seen a Sears number 125?    If so, please contact me!

There are three ways to contact me.  By email: searshomes@yahoo.com (photos welcome and encouraged)

You can contact me through the Sears Modern Homes on facebook page.  The first Sears Modern Homes community page on facebook since 2009!

Or, you can leave a reply at the end of this blog.

To learn more about kit homes and meet other enthusiasts as well as home owners join us in the Sears Homes Group on facebook The first Sears Homes Group since 2009!

Follow me on twitter!

Tulsa Oklahoma Houses by Mail, Sears Homes, Wardway, Aladdin and more

Oklahoma Houses By Mail by Rachel Shoemaker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Harris Brothers M-1023, A Desirable Bungalow.

Here’s a kit home we’ve not seen. And, from a kit home company that we don’t see or hear much about. Harris Brothers.

Harris Brothers was located in Chicago, Illinois.

From the website of Rebecca Hunter:
“In 1892 the company was founded as an architectural salvage company and incorporated in 1893 as Chicago House Wrecking Company. The four Harris brothers secured contracts for the demolition of exhibitions such as the 1893 World Columbian Exhibition in Chicago, and the 1904 St Louis World Fair. By 1908, they began offering house and barn plans, and selling the material and lumber to construct these. They pioneered sectional construction, offering bolted-together “Presto-Up” buildings as early as 1912. They also offered a line of “industrial housing” to companies wishing to provide employee housing. In 1913, the company name was changed to Harris Brothers. They published their first catalog of pre-cut homes in 1916. In the 1930’s, to attract more repeat business, the company began marketing materials to contractors rather than to individual homeowners. Harris apparently stopped selling homes around 1932.
After filing for bankruptcy in 1933-34, the company reincorporated as Iron Street Lumber Company. The company remained in business until 1960, producing doors and windows from their plant in Wausau WI for companies such as National Homes and Wausau Homes.”

 

Recently someone posted a photo of a “Sears” house in the Sears Homes group on facebook. They were asking for help identifying their house.  This facebook group was started back in 2009 by Rosemary Thornton.  I’ve been a group admin for several years and help folks identify their homes. It has been a great experience and I have learned a lot along the way!  If you need help identifying a house I recommend that you join us.

This was the “Sears” house in question. Turns out after investigating that this adorable hip roofed bungalow is a Harris Brothers M-1023!

 

Photo copyright Jenn DiCola Matos

 

I was told that the foundation was inscribed 1919 and the property records say 1924. And, she shared a few photos of the stenciled lumber.

 

Photo copyright Jenn DiCola Matos

I knew immediately from her photos of the stenciled lumber that the house was from Harris Brothers. Each company has their own distinct stenciling or grease pencil marks.

Photo copyright Jenn DiCola Matos

 

More Harris Brothers stencil marks.

Photo copyright Jenn DiCola Matos

 

And when I saw this side I was able to match it with a catalog image!

The house was built in 1919 and the 1924 date is likely when the house was added on in the rear.

Photo copyright Jenn DiCola Matos

Harris Brothers M-1023 from my 1920 catalog.

 

And across from this Harris Brothers bungalow is a bungalow from Aladdin! An Aladdin Plaza.

Special thanks to Jennifer DiCola Matos for granting me permission to share her Harris Brothers kit home! Jenn is the Executive Director of the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society.

Are you living in a Sears home but can’t find it in a catalog anywhere? You might be living in a kit home from a different company such as Harris Brothers! If so, please contact me!

There are three ways to contact me.  By email: searshomes@yahoo.com (photos welcome and encouraged)

You can contact me through Sears Modern Homes on facebook.

Or, you can leave a reply at the end of this blog.

To see two very early Aladdin homes click here. The earliest confirmed Aladdin that I am aware of!

To see two of the earliest Sears homes click here.

To learn more about kit homes and meet other enthusiasts as well as home owners join us in the Sears Homes Group on facebook!

Here’s a great blog by Rosemary Thornton showing several examples of stenciled lumber. Click here to read.

Follow me on twitter!

Tulsa Oklahoma Houses by Mail, Sears Homes, Wardway, Aladdin and more

Oklahoma Houses By Mail by Rachel Shoemaker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0

The Aladdin Florence

Pride of ownership in the Aladdin Florence!  To the lover of simplicity the Florence has a strong attraction, its well balanced and commodious porch, finely proportioned roof and dormer window, wide front windows and shingled gables all being in perfect harmony.

Let’s look at two great examples of the Aladdin Florence shipped from Bay City Michigan to  Oklahoma and New Hampshire.

The Aladdin Florence from my 1916 catalog, offered from 1914-1922.

Click image to see in full resolution.

This Aladdin Florence is in Erick, Oklahoma.

Built by Grover Boyd Toon, a farmer, in 1920. This once farm home was home to Grover, his wife Emma, and their two daughters Mildred and Ruth and son Elmer for many years.

This Aladdin Florence was built in Haverhill, New Hampshire by Ray Bailey a railroad brakeman.

Ray Bailey of Woodsville, New Hampshire extended an invitation to see his Aladdin Florence in this testimony I found in an Aladdin Magazine from my collection.

The Aladdin Florence, home of Ray Bailey , his wife Alice and their three children Kenneth, Marjorie and Eleanor in Haverhill, New Hampshire.

Are you living in a kit home?  Know of one?  Need help identifying one?   If so, please contact me!

There are three ways to contact me.  By email: searshomes@yahoo.com (photos welcome and encouraged)

You can contact me through Sears Modern Homes on facebook.

Or, you can leave a reply at the end of this blog.

To see two very early Aladdin homes click here. The earliest confirmed Aladdin that I am aware of!

To see two of the earliest Sears homes click here.

To learn more about kit homes and meet other enthusiasts as well as home owners join us in the Sears Homes Group on facebook!

Follow me on twitter!

Tulsa Oklahoma Houses by Mail, Sears Homes, Wardway, Aladdin and more

Oklahoma Houses By Mail by Rachel Shoemaker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0

The Aladdin Emerald, A 5-Room Cottage Home

The Aladdin Emerald was a 5 room cottage measuring 16×30 feet. I think today we might call that a tiny house.  🙂

The Emerald was constructed of the same grade of materials as the larger more expensive homes that Aladdin offered.

In 1920 a hardware salesman, Frank Foote, ordered this Aladdin Emerald.  It was shipped to Pawhuska, Osage County, Oklahoma.

If you click on the image and zoom in you will see that the Aladdin Emerald in Pawhuska, Oklahoma still has the original mullion frame casement windows mentioned in the catalog description!

This Aladdin Emerald was the home of Frank Foote, his wife Grace and their daughter Bessie. Bessie married in 1934. Frank and Grace were still living here in 1940.

Frank passed away in 1947 and Grace passed away in 1973. Bessie was an honor student at Pawhuska. She went on to college, married an accountant, Leroy Hayden, and they eventually ended up in Dallas, Tx. Bessie passed away in San Antonio in 1997.

I stopped by the train depot in Pawhuska. It is now the Osage County Historical Society. I didn’t have time to go inside, it was the end of the day. Next trip! I also learned that Pawhuska is the home of the first Boy Scout Troop in America!

 

This monument is outside of the train depot in Pawhuska. It lists the first Boy Scout Troop members. The name at the top on the right column is RD Foote. I bet he is related to Frank Foote.

This statue is located at the train depot too. It commemorates the first Boy Scout troop in America.

On my next trip, I’ll visit the museum and eat at Ree Drummond’s new place!

 

Are you living in a kit home?  Know of one?  Need help identifying one?   If so, please contact me!

There are three ways to contact me.  By email: searshomes@yahoo.com (photos welcome and encouraged)

You can contact me through Sears Modern Homes on facebook.

Or, you can leave a reply at the end of this blog.

To see two very early Aladdin homes click here. The earliest confirmed Aladdin that I am aware of!

To see two of the earliest Sears homes click here.

To learn more about kit homes and meet other enthusiasts as well as home owners join us in the Sears Homes Group on facebook!

Follow me on twitter!

Tulsa Oklahoma Houses by Mail, Sears Homes, Wardway, Aladdin and more

Oklahoma Houses By Mail by Rachel Shoemaker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0

Sears Modern Home Number 164

The Sears Modern Home number 164 is a colonial with gambrel roof. The entire house is sided with shingles including the porch columns. I have three to share in this blog. Maybe you have seen this rare house!

The Sears Modern Homes No 164 was offered from 1911-1917. The 1913 catalog tells us this model was built in Miami, Fla. Closter, NJ. Beach Haven NJ. Dunkirk NY. New York, NY. and Rochester, NY.

The Sears 164 that was built in Dunkirk, New York .  It still has the shingle siding!

The Sears 164 that was built in Dunkirk, New York .

The Sears 164 that was built in Dunkirk, New York .  Here’s a look at the back, something we don’t always get to see!

This Sears 164 was built in Closter, New Jersey.   It also still has the wood shingle siding!

This Sears 164 was built in Closter, New Jersey.   You can just barely make out the living room bump out.

We can’t see the back of the Sears 164 in Closter, New Jersey but we can see the left side this time.

This is the Sears 164 that is listed in Beach Haven, New Jersey

 

The Sears 164 that is listed in Beach Haven, New Jersey

 

This Sears 164 is in Beach Haven, New Jersey

 

Have you seen a Sears number 164?    If so, please contact me!

There are three ways to contact me.  By email: searshomes@yahoo.com (photos welcome and encouraged)

You can contact me through the Sears Modern Homes on facebook page.

Or, you can leave a reply at the end of this blog.

To learn more about kit homes and meet other enthusiasts as well as home owners join us in the Sears Homes Group on facebook!

Follow me on twitter!

Tulsa Oklahoma Houses by Mail, Sears Homes, Wardway, Aladdin and more

Oklahoma Houses By Mail by Rachel Shoemaker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sears Modern Home 64 in West Haven CT.

The Sears Modern Homes number 64 was one of the first models offered by Sears in 1908. I was able to locate one with the help of a testimony from 1911.

To see the Sears 1908 Catalog of Modern Homes click here.

With this testimony I set out to find a Sears Modern Homes 64. This was the home of Louis and Alma Streitlein and their daughter and adopted son.

 

This is the Sears Modern Home number 64 that the Streitleins lived in in New haven CT.

 

This is from my 1908, 4th edition of the Sears Modern Homes catalog.  I’m not too fond of that room arrangement.  The largest room is the dining room and not really any place to add a bathroom if needed or when needed.   I’m sure that addition solved that problem.

 

Model 64 was offered until 1913 and as model 211 too.

 

Louis and Alma Streitlein’s Sears Modern Home number 64.

 

Have you seen a Sears number 64?    If so, please contact me!

There are three ways to contact me.  By email: searshomes@yahoo.com (photos welcome and encouraged)

You can contact me through Sears Modern Homes on facebook.

Or, you can leave a reply at the end of this blog.

To learn more about kit homes and meet other enthusiasts as well as home owners join us in the Sears Homes Group on facebook!

Follow me on twitter!

Tulsa Oklahoma Houses by Mail, Sears Homes, Wardway, Aladdin and more

Oklahoma Houses By Mail by Rachel Shoemaker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Henry Wilson Number 167 in Nova Scotia

A few months ago I received an email asking for help from someone who was researching her home. She thought it might be a kit home but couldn’t find anything that would match. I was told the house was in Nova Scotia. That didn’t rule out a kit home but the first thing that came to my mind was a pattern home. I told her to email me a few photos and I would take a look. I immediately recognized the house! The Nova Scotia bungalow is a good candidate for a Henry Wilson number 167.

I believe this Nova Scotia bungalow was built from Henry L Wilson plan number 167.

 

Photo copyright Debra Brose

 

This is from my 1907 Henry L Wilson catalog, The Bungalow Book. I think this may be the earliest publication for Henry L Wilson designs. It’s the earliest I’ve seen anyway. The bungalow in Nova Scotia was built reversed, an option offered to homeowners.

 

Click on the image to read that small print and see the catalog page in full resolution.

 

I couldn’t help her as far as who built this house or who lived here but I’m pretty sure that this bungalow was built with the plan that Henry L Wilson designed in 1907. It’s a good candidate anyway. Wilson’s plans were sold throughout the US and Canada.

 

Photo copyright Debra Brose

 

It looks like the fireplace was omitted.

 

Photo copyright Debra Brose

 

The back of the bungalow with an addition and newly added dormer.

 

Photo copyright Debra Brose

 

And the view from the deck! Beautiful!

 

Photo copyright Debra Brose

 

To see another Henry L. Wilson bungalow click here.

Are you living in a Sears kit home or a pattern home?   Need help identifying your house?   If so, please contact me!  There are three ways to contact me.  By email: searshomes@yahoo.com (photos welcome and encouraged)

You can contact me through Sears Modern Homes on facebook.

Or, you can leave a reply at the end of this blog.

To learn more about kit homes and meet other enthusiasts as well as home owners join us in the Sears Homes Group on facebook!

Follow me on twitter!

Tulsa Oklahoma Houses by Mail, Sears Homes, Wardway, Aladdin and more

Oklahoma Houses By Mail by Rachel Shoemaker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Sears Modern Home No 135

Using a testimony from 1914 I was able to locate a Sears Modern Home No 135. A quick internet search doesn’t turn up anything on the Sears 135. The Sears Modern Home 135 was offered from late 1908-1915.

If you recognize this house as a house you have seen please contact me!

This is the Sears 135 from my 1914/15 catalog. This model was first offered in fall of 1908 and last offered in 1915. You can see a testimony at the bottom of the page for a 135 built in Huntington, West Virginia.

 

To see the Sears Modern Homes 1914/1915 catalog click here.

 

This Sears Modern Homes 135 is in Huntington West Virginia. It was the home of railroad employee Jay Innis and his wife Zella Mae and their three sons.

 

Are you living in a Sears kit home?  Know of one?  Need help identifying one?   If so, please contact me!  There are three ways to contact me.  By email: searshomes@yahoo.com (photos welcome and encouraged)

You can contact me through Sears Modern Homes on facebook.

Or, you can leave a reply at the end of this blog.

To see a set of Gordon Van Tine blueprints from a house I identified for someone recently click here!

To see Sears blueprints click here.

To learn more about kit homes and meet other enthusiasts as well as home owners join us in the Sears Homes Group on facebook!

Follow me on twitter!

Tulsa Oklahoma Houses by Mail, Sears Homes, Wardway, Aladdin and more

Oklahoma Houses By Mail by Rachel Shoemaker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Aladdin Bungalow, The Romeo

Featuring an Aladdin Bungalow, The Romeo.  A homey modern type.  Offered by Aladdin 1913-1916 from a borrowed California bungalow design.

Aladdin was a kit home company located in Bay City, Michigan selling kits from 1906 – 1983.

This testimony in my 1915 Aladdin catalog led me to an Aladdin Romeo built in San Diego, California.

 

The Aladdin Romeo was a modern and homey bungalow design that Aladdin borrowed from The Los Angeles Investment Company.

 

This image is from my 1913 Aladdin catalog.

 

The 1915 testimony led me directly to this house. This was the home of Ananias and Susan Boughman.

 

The Boughmans lived in this home from 1914-1918. Susan passed away in March of 1918. Ananias moved out and away. He passed away in 1924.

 

The Aladdin Romeo had a couple of minor changes in 1915, can you see them? Not just the physical appearance either. This house may be a model built in Bay City, Michigan. I don’t know.

 

I mentioned that Aladdin likely used a design from Los Angeles Investment Company for the Romeo. Here’s that design, 537B. There were often 2-3 floor plans and/or facades for each design. The 537A is the same floor plan but a slightly different facade.

 

This is a 537B in Los Angeles California, Deeble Tract I believe. I went through the tracts that LA Investment developed and identified the houses and found the models used in their catalogs.

 

Yeah, I know. I need a hobby. LOL

 

Can you see how frustrating it can be identifying kit homes? So many kit home models were borrowed designs…especially the early bungalows! I have a handful of blogs featuring these houses, just search California bungalow and my blog and they should pull up.

 

I get emails frequently from folks in California who think they have a Sears home and think that the bungalows were inspired by or designed by Sears. Actually, it’s vice versa!

 

Well, you’ve got a good idea of what an Aladdin Romeo looks like and a Los Angeles Investment Co 537B. If you know of one or find one let me know and I’ll see if I can figure out which it is…kit or pattern. It’s a pretty distinctive bungalow and should be easy to spot if you happen upon one!

Are you living in a Sears kit home?  Know of one?  Need help identifying one?   If so, please contact me!  There are three ways to contact me.  By email: searshomes@yahoo.com (photos welcome and encouraged)

You can contact me through Sears Modern Homes on facebook.

Or, you can leave a reply  at the end of this blog.

To see two very early Aladdin homes click here. The earliest confirmed Aladdin that I am aware of!

To see two of the earliest Sears homes click here.

To learn more about kit homes and meet other enthusiasts as well as home owners join us in the Sears Homes Group on facebook!

Follow me on twitter!

Tulsa Oklahoma Houses by Mail, Sears Homes, Wardway, Aladdin and more

Oklahoma Houses By Mail by Rachel Shoemaker is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.