I live in this 1936 GVT kit home built by my great-uncle. I found the blueprints for the home in the basement when I moved in. I'm looking for information/history on the kit and would love a copy of the catalog page for this house.

A photo of the house:
http://mysite.verizon.net/resoof92/id1.html

Thanks!
Donna

Beautiful house. I don't have all my catalogs with me but I checked the 1932, 1935, 1938 and 1939 Gordon-VanTine catalogs and could not find a match to your residence. Check the blueprints and see if the title block mentions "Spec" or "Custom" which means the house was a special or custom design specifically for your uncle. GVT encouraged customers to submit their own designs, regardless of the customers architectural skills, and GVT would draft blueprints and a bill of materials. Other kit home experts may recognize this GVT model but i'll check my other catalosg when I get back home.

For more information see www.gordon-vantine.com

Where is the house located?

Thanks for your reply. I checked the plans again and do find a box in the lower left hand corner which says, "Designed for" with my great uncle's name and city. Would this mean that this house has aspects of other kit homes, just modified to suit what he wanted?

From what I've found on the web, including your website, I do see similar features between the kit homes and this house. I have photos of the house just after construction. It used to have shutters with little cut-outs, similar to other GVT homes I've seen on the web.

It is a great little house, with tons of character. The house is located in DeKalb, Illinois.

Your house has a striking resemblance to many GVT models offered in the 1930’s but the “designed for” notation indicates the house was designed by the GVT architectural staff. If the lumber for the house was pre-cut, stamped and referenced to the blueprints it would be considered a “pre-cut house”. If the house was built of traditional construction with lumber purchased from GVT it would be considered a “plan book house”. Either way it’s still a GVT house with high quality design and materials.

I will be in Elgin, Illinois in a few weeks visiting Rebecca Hunter, an authority on Sears Homes. Don’t be surprised if you look your front window and see us taking photographs!