hi there.

I just learned about kit homes last month, and I'm fascinated with the whole concept.

I live in berkeley, CA where are many american four square homes built in the 1920's

mine was built about 1922, and the back rooms, upstairs and downstairs, added in the 1940's

the brick from the chimney (which was on the back wall of the house) is under the house still, though it no longer connects to the roof.

after scouring the online plans, the closest I can find to my plan is the Marley, though there may be a closer one in the Radford plans, which I have ordered a copy of.

so, how does one know if their house was built to the plans locally or was really a kit?

berkeley is along a railroad line, so that helps.

and, 3 years ago, I found this board with a wards sticker and number written on it when I remodelled the kitchen. (yes, I kept it and put it back, saving the sticker and markings)

I had assumed it was from a wards' kitchen, having no idea there were whole houses shipped.

where else to look for markings? I'm renovating the bathroom now and have the walls open to the studs, so now's a good time to hunt for things.

thanks for any info.

how do you post a set of pix?

my original post only had the last one.

this is the label.

front of house

We have a bunch of old house plan books. Will take a look for you later this week when I'm back in the office. We have Wards and Radford's books so it may turn up in one of them. Gordon Van Tine also sold houses that were sold through Montgomery Ward.

Montgomery-Ward stopped using Radford designs just before World War One when they subcontracted their entire housing department to Gordon-VanTine, an Iowa manufacturer of millwork and pre-cut homes. Montgomery-Ward was merely a front office that accepted orders that were forwarded to GVT, who forwarded the orders to a Chelasis Washington mill that had been contracted to cut and ship homes for the northwestern United States.

Montgomery Ward also offered a catalog of general building materials, including interior trim, from which builders of traditional homes could secure materials. Your house may not be a kit house but could have MontWard materials. I can't see your pics so i can't say if your houses matches any of their catalogs.

can you tell from the picture of the board?

they are posts 2 and 3 above with jpeg's

the board said "58514 B.M." ... for base molding?

Elaine --

For some reason, we can't see the pics of the house. Could you repost or email us a picture? I don't know what happened.

Rikki
contact@antiquehome.com

Never mind. It just doens't render in Firefox. It's fine in Safari.

The label is great find but it does not help to determine if your house was built from pre-cut kit or concentional construcion using MontWard materials. A photograph would help but you can also look at exposed lumber (joists and rafters) for stenciled labels or grease pencil numbers.

Elaine, I'd like to know much more about this. That label is a facinating bit of history. And in California? How interesting!

Your photos aren't showing up as anything more than the dreaded red x, so could you try again or perhaps put up a link to the photos? I'd love to help you identify the model and solve this minor mystery.

Rose