The Sears Yates, A Late Model Sears House

It’s a proven fact that Sears Modern Homes sold homes from 1908-1940. We know this from their published catalogs and I can verify that because I own all but one year of those published catalogs. This can also be verified by all of the merchandise catalogs. The last Sears Modern Homes catalog was published in 1940. That 52 page catalog includes 39 models and a few small summer homes, garages and a barn. The 1939 modern homes catalog is the exact same catalog. It was the end of an era for Sears.

The Sears Yates was one of the last models offered by Sears Modern Homes.

(Friendly reminder, click on any image to enlarge and see in full resolution.)

The back cover of the 1939 and 1940 Sears Modern Homes catalog lists the locations of the remaining Sears Modern Homes sales offices. If you live in the vicinity of these locations you might find one of the last Sears Modern Homes to be built.

 

The Sears Yates makes it’s first appearance in the fall 1938 Sears merchandise catalog. By the way, that 200,000 is a slight exaggeration.  Rosemary Thornton, author of Finding The Houses That Sears Built, estimates that Sears sold 75,000 homes.  Sears sales numbers were inflated all the time in advertising.  ADVERTISING  😉

 

The Sears Yates first appears in the 1939 Modern Homes Catalog and last in 1940. The Sears Yates model was offered a little over two years.

 

Hackettstown, New Jersey, just 45 miles east of a Sears Modern Homes office, is home to a beautiful Sears Yates! This Yates was built in 1940.
Photo is copyright of Geoff Wyatt

 

I don’t know if you noticed, but, like most of the Sears Modern Homes catalogs that listed the specifications of each model the Yates does not. The later years didn’t list specifications. I’m not sure why. Maybe each homeowner selected their own millwork and upgrades or maybe they just didn’t publish them in the catalogs. However, today we get to see inside a Sears Yates! I was able to match up a lot of the interior millwork and materials to Sears millwork from their merchandise catalogs for those years.

Let’s start with the front door as we enter! Notice the original door? That’s seen in the catalog image of the Sears Yates.
Photo is copyright of Geoff Wyatt

 

Brrrr, close the door please…it’s cold today!
Isn’t this original Sears Yates door beautiful?
Photo is copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

The Manhattan hardware, original Sears hardware!
Sears Yates Photo is copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

Sears Fall merchandise catalog 1939: Manhattan Hardware.

 

Don’t you love this Sears Yates interior hardware? Beautiful!
Photo copyright Geoff Wyatt.

 

How about these original light fixtures in this Sears Yates? Very Streamline! I found that this line was called “Sunglow”.
Photo is copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

The fall 1939 merchandise catalog offers a variety of “streamline” light fixtures. The owners chose the Sunglow line for their Yates.
Awesome, something else for me to watch for on ebay LOL

 

The Sears Yates in Hacketstown NJ has a 1/2 bath downstairs.
Photo copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

You can see fixtures in this catalog page from the Spring 1938 merchandise catalog!

 

This ironing board is in the kitchen. These often get removed and replaced with a spice cabinet or such. Since we don’t have specifications in the catalog it’s hard to say if this came with the kit or if the owner added it at extra cost.
Photo copyright Geoff Wyatt.

 

Let’s head downstairs to the basement. Maybe we can find some marked lumber on the floor joists!
Sears Yates Photo copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

Oh wow! Check THAT out!
3711 A
That just happens to be the plan number assigned to the 2-story Sears Yates…the single story with an unfinished second floor is 3711. Nice find!
Photo is copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

Excellent examples of stenciled lumber in this Sears Yates!
Photo is copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

Let’s have a look at all sides of the Sears Yates! We don’t get to do that very often. Special thanks to photographer Geoff Wyatt…he sent me so many photos it was difficult to choose.

This shot of the Sears Yates in the snow was one of my favorite!
I’m a big fan of snow! And the cold.
Photo copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

So pretty!
Okay…no more snow 🙂
Photo is copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

Here’s a view we don’t often have the chance to see! I love it when we can see the back of a kit home. Sometimes it can clue us in to the house being a kit or a possible pattern, not that this Sears model has a pattern likeness. I doubt it. I would be willing to bet that the Sears Yates was the design of someone with the Sears Modern Homes Construction Division. Just a hunch.
Photo copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

And, the right side of the Sears Yates.
Photo is copyright of Geoff Wyatt.

 

Are you living in a Sears Yates? Have you SEEN a Sears Yates? Do you have a kit home to share or that you need help identifying? If so email me at searshomes@yahoo.com

*** Thanks to someone who read my blog another Sears Yates has been reported!  He tells me his family owns a Sears Yates that his grandfather built in 1939.

This Sears Yates is in New York and was reported by a follower and reader.

 

You can see other wonderful homes and blog posts of both Rosemary Thornton and me on facebook if you click here.

And, you can join our closed Sears Homes group on facebook too if you want to learn how to recognize kit homes and pattern book homes!

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.